The Fox Boy
by Blazeraptor54
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki faced down Zabuza Momochi, Inari and Tsunami stood behind him. The Legendary Swordsmen looked at the boy with criticism, and chuckled. "So you think you can take me on, a Genin going against a Jonin is a death wish." Naruto just stood there still, and clenched his hands. Finally after a tense moment, the blonde looked at him, "less talking...more fighting."
1. Chapter one

A young blonde child, probably no more than eleven walked along the street. It was heavily snowing outside, frigid air made this walk a hard fought journey. He was wearing blue sweatpants, and an orange T-shirt. Having rushed out of his house too fast for a jacket, he was already late to his school.

" _It's cold out you know, man I'm such an idiot, why did I forget my jacket?!"_ The blonde screamed inside of his head.

Along the road he saw people giving him a look of both disdain, and as if he had just came out looking like the biggest clown their was. Some were laughing, he didn't really find it funny, but kept his mouth shout.

" _Laugh it up assholes, oh just keep laughing it up. Let's see here one, two, four...yep."_ The blonde checked to see who was laughing at him.

Sure he was cold, tired, and even a little hungry having missed breakfast. However, he wasn't by no means capable of not feeling anger, and that said anger warmed him slightly. He was drudging through the deep snow that on the streets.

He managed to keep drudging enough to where he stood outside the gate, he went to open the gate and go in, discovering it locked. Growling out, he wiggled himself into the snow, and crouched down.

Jumping upwards, the blonde managed to barely clear the walling, however on his landing, he slipped on an sheet of ice hidden under the snow. He went backwards, slamming his head into the wall, making him groan out in pain.

"Fuck me..." He muttered as he struggled up.

Shaking his head, he ignored the pain as he continued to dredge towards the school. His vibrant blue eyes glaring at it, while he walked off his fall with bravado just in case anyone saw him. He felt something warm run down his neck, moving his hand back he felt something wet on his neck.

He brought his hand back to where he could look at it, fresh blood adorned his fingers, and he just let out a groan. He would have to let it bleed for a few minutes until he could get to the bathroom inside The Academy.

"If it ain't one fucking thing, it's another, goddamn it." The blonde complained as he neared the door.

Bending down he took some snow into his hands, rubbing off the small amount of blood that had been on them. He then went for the door, turning the knob, finding it lock. He just slammed his head against it, forgetting that they had started locking doors to keep people in.

Courtesy of his astounding summer activities.

Quickly regaining his composure, the blonde reached into his pockets. He pulled out a bobby pin he kept with him just in case he forgot his keys to the apartment he lived in. Using both of his hands, the blonde contorted the small metal, and shoved it into the key hole.

Moving it around, he muttered how much adults were idiots, and how he was getting in one way or another. He twisted his hands, rotated them counterclockwise, and pulled up. He heard the snapping of lock, and put both of his hands together.

"Still got it!" He says as he pulls the bobby pin out.

He stepped into the building, slipping on the floor from his wet shoes, he slammed on his butt. Groaning out, he got back up, he walked towards the bathrooms. Some of students looked at him, one going to close the door he left open, one pointed to him.

"I know, eww, you got blood all over your back." Naruto muttered as he waived them off.

He kicked open the bathroom door, walking towards the sink. He turned to look at his wound, noticing it had stopped bleeding, and sighed as he dipped crumbled paper towels into the hot stream of water he had coming from the sink.

As he reached behind his head, he felt the small cut, and laid his right hand over it. He held it there for a few minutes, and rubbed the area with the wet paper towel as he looked at his right hand. There was still some fresh blood, but the rest had dried and settled on his neck.

Looking at his face, he turned his head to look at his whisker marks, a birthmark. Sighing, he shook his head wet head as he finished wiping it with the wet paper towel, and noticed it spike up more.

The sides came down below his ear, and it was at least three inches in length. Wild, unkempt, like a mutt. However, here he was, now trying to finish up wiping the blood that had rolled down to his shoulder blades.

When he finished he heard the bell.

"Must be Second Class, no...Third Class. Damn, I was late today." He muttered to himself as he threw away the paper towel.

He went to the door, opening it, and saw a scarred nose man looking at him with dark brown eyes. The blonde looked slightly nervous as the man drew his hand back, and he held his hands up.

"Hey, Iruka, I can expl-ow!" He screamed as the man known as Iruka struck him in the back of his head with a slap.

"You're late again Naruto, come on, summer was bad enough. You're failing most of your classes...including mine. Which you're are late for as we now speak." Iruka spoke as he crossed his arms.

"Sorry, something happened with my power, my alarm didn't go off." Naruto explained he rubbed his head.

"Well do try to wake up more early, come on, I need to take you to the nurse." Iruka said as he looked at his hand and noticed some blood on it.

"Oh no, come on, I cleaned and it's stopped bleeding. Come on sensei, it's stop bleeding, ya know!" Naruto complained as he was being dragged.

"No excuses Naruto, proper protocol, come on." Iruka ordered as he escorted Naruto.

The blonde was sitting in class, hold his head down, it wasn't out of sadness. It was more or less embarrassment. Many of the boys were snickering, some stifling laughter as best they could, Naruto had the horror having a kitten band aid on his small cut.

They had ran out of normal band aids, surprise to his lick, and had to resort to little kids. The problem was that there wasn't just one, no, there was just three. Enough to cover the small cut, that normally would just close itself up within a few hours anyway.

Currently Iruka was going over the basis of _**The Clone Jutsu**_. A basic, and required technique to graduate. Naruto had already attempted graduation twice, but failed each time. The first time was a mistake, he had no where been near ready. The second time his _**Transformation Jutsu**_ was perfect, but once again his clones weren't.

However, right now, instead of listening to the same material he had repeated for the last three years...going on four. Naruto was busy just trying to ignore the boys, and girls of his class mock him for his band aids.

"So...little Naruko, get hurt?" A boy asked.

Naruto just tried to ignore him, the brown eyed, and tan haired bastard just wouldn't shut up.

"Oh poor baby, how about you go home to mommy and have her kiss it to make it feel better." Naruto gripped his desk.

That bastard was getting on his last nerves, he turned to him.

"Please shut up, I don't have a mom anyway." Naruto spoke as he was hoping to make the older boy feel guilty.

A few minutes of silence, Naruto was busy now copying notes, and then he felt something hit his cut. He turned, glaring at the boy, who had the all so innocent look on his face.

"Knock it off..." Naruto growled.

" _Hey Kin, just rip one of them off, little Naruko won't hurt you. He's a little pest that's all."_

" _Yeah Genmaru's right, besides, this idiot has no friends anyway. So don't worry, we got your back."_

" _Okay Keno, Genmaru, I got this."_

" _Oh he better fucking no-aaaahh!"_ Naruto's eyes open wide with pain.

"Oh, sorry Naruko, just helping you out." Kin said as he tossed the band aid behind him.

That was it, Naruto snapped around, punching the boy square in the face. The boy was older than him by a year, however his mouth seemed to lack the wisdom that should have came with his age. Naruto punched him a second time in the face, and then screamed at him.

"Hey bastard my name's Naruto Uzumaki, not Naruko! As for being hurt, how does this feel?!" Naruto screamed as he dragged the boy up.

Iruka grabbed his fist before he could launch another punch, the older boy was whimpering, and slightly recoiled as he expected another hard punch. The other students had turned to see the one sided fight, Naruto was struggling. Trying to make his right arm slip out of Iruka's grasp so he could lay in another punch.

"Naruto's that's enough, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Iruka shouted as he managed to barely restrain the boy.

"That bastard, and his friends have been picking on me about my band aids ever since I got in class. Hey!" Naruto screamed at Kin as he got up. "Don't you fucking run, we're not finish asshole!"

"Naruto stop using that language immediately!" Iruka shouted.

"Get off me then so I can wail on'em!" Naruto screamed as he was being dragged out of the classroom.

"Class, keep reading chapter five on Basic Ninjutsu, please be silent as I take care of Naruto here. Than-thank you!" Iruka screamed as he finally threw Naruto out the door and slammed it close.

Almost immediately the students began laughing, some cheering for the fight to continue.

"Naruto, what in the hell was that about?! You do realize I'll have to put you in a week's detention for that outburst. What's gotten into you!" Iruka demanded an answer.

"Those assholes kept making fun of me since I got to class, one ripped one of my bandages off, and called me Naruko. I told him to stop several times, but he just kept going, so I got tired and pegged him!" Naruto screamed as he saw one of the kids give Kin a high five.

"I'll deal with them, but you should have told me Naruto, you don't have to resort to violence all the time." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah, be kind and courteous always works...give me a break." Naruto grumbled as he broke Iruka's hold on him.

"I'm serious Naruto, these outbursts got to stop. I can't keep doing this forever, eventually they'll call for your expulsion, and do you think The Third will be able to help then?" Iruka asked as he felt sorry for the blonde.

"So in other words, I'm sorry they hurt you, kindly go fuck yourself?" Naruto replied as he clenched his hands.

"Narut-" Iruka reached out to the blonde only to have his hand knocked away.

"No Iruka, not this time, I'm not taking that bullshit this time. They, the villagers, and those so called parents of _them_." Naruto hissed. "Have done enough to me, I'm tired of it!"

"Naruto listen, I know you're hurting, but I can't have you punching everyone and anyone that does. I'm sorry, but you will be in detention. As for them, I'll have to hand out the same punishment." Iruka comforted the blonde while remaining sound in his judgment.

"Oh yeah because the _fox boy_ can't be innocent." Naruto muttered lowly as he walked back towards classroom.

"Naruto, what did you just say?" Iruka asked as he watch Naruto go back into the class.

He didn't respond back, all Iruka heard was Naruto yelling at the other kids. Asking if they were satisfied for what they did, Iruka came back into a silent class, watching Naruto a seat at the very back of the room.

"Okay class...now before we go to lunch. Physical Training is canceled for today due to weather, so we'll be going one more hour of Basic Ninjutsu. We'll even dabble a little in Genjutsu." Iruka instructed as he got ready for the bell.

Lunch wasn't anything special, they had fired fish today, same as yesterday. Naruto was currently in the line of kids, waiting to get food, he had a few Copper Notes. The lower end currency of the village.

Copper Notes were what most Coolie, and Menial Labor got for pay. Copper wasn't exactly a high end pay note, but it was indeed something to get by on. However, Silver Notes, and Gold Notes were worth a lot more.

It would take twenty Copper Notes to make a Silver Note, and one hundred to make a single Gold Note.

Like wise, a single Silver Note would only make up one fifth of a Gold Note.

Naruto had Copper Notes for three reasons. One, he worked at Ichiraku sometimes, during their busy days on the weekends. Two, it was the easiest money to keep track of. Finally three, he wasn't a ninja yet who got paid in Silver Notes...most of the time.

Pretty much, Naruto was a low class citizen, busting his ass to make it a little more to the top. It didn't help when people tried to take from his pocket, or his apartment. His landlord was an asshole who usually let them in anyway.

However, the things they never touched was Naruto's bed, food, or glasses. They did take almost everything else, like his Television set he got for his birthday this year. Naruto had been incredibly mad, but he had no evidence against the landlord.

He just knew. The man hated him like any other villager, despite The Hokage paying his rent for him.

The blonde cursed lowly as someone bumped into him, he sighed, and just kept his eyes ahead. The bump came again, Naruto turned to see Genmaru, and his cohorts snickering. The blonde balled his fists up.

Another bump later, and the blonde snapped around.

"Will...you please...stop...bumping...me." The blonde struggled through gritted teeth.

"Oh, my bad Fo-I mean Naruto, sorry I didn't see you there." He joked as he turned to his friends laughing.

Naruto just held his head low, holding his head down, only this time to get bumped so hard that he got nudged out of line. No sooner than he did, those boys took his spot, and Naruto growled as he tried to squeeze his way back in.

"Hey, what's the big idea, ya know?!" Naruto questioned as he saw the boy's snicker in amusement.

He got back in line, trying to refrain from punching their lights out. Naruto looked around, noticing Iruka was talking Mizuki, and a couple of other instructors. The blonde tapped his hand on his side, taking another blow.

"Try not punch _them_ , try not hit _them_ , try to be nice to _them_." Naruto murmured as he continue to tap his hand on his side.

Another few bumps later, Naruto was nearing the part of his line where he could get food. Luckily it was Friday, so tomorrow he'd have the time to work at Ichiraku to refill his stock of money for lunch. The Hokage wanted to help Naruto out with lunch, but the blonde was too prideful, and refused.

So now the bumping stopped, thankfully, Naruto got his tray. Walking over to the food, he began to take fish out. One piece, so it wouldn't be charged at full price. He got some noodles, that was going to be full priced, and some chicken broth. Another full price. He made sure to get a bowl before getting said items.

Luckily he had just enough money, he paid for the meal, and got ready to walk away.

That's when the final bump hit him, a sharp jab into his shoulder, and made lunge forward. The tray flew out of his hands, spilling contents across the floor. Naruto just stood there, his arms outstretched, his eyes slightly having tears forming in eyes. The blonde gripped his fists, an all so familiar feeling of rage building up inside of him.

"Bastards ..." Naruto murmured as he gripped his hands enough to where his nails cut into his palm.

"Look at that, Naruko made a mess, Naruko made a mess!" Genmaru chanted.

Naruto watched Iruka walk towards him, slowly, but was making sure to keep his eyes on the blonde at all times. Naruto was really about to let it go, seeing as now he couldn't get a clean hit in, letting his arms fall to his side.

Naruto was about to walk towards Iruka, when something caught his foot, making him slip. It was the greasy chicken broth he had gotten, he fell flat on his back, and howled in pain. The other children began to laugh at his misfortune, and slowly Naruto felt something slip down his cheek.

"Everyone be quiet!" Iruka shouted as he walked over to Naruto.

The blonde's eyes shadowed by his hair, a few tears running down his cheeks, he was utterly humiliated. The kids continued to laugh, Naruto soon got up, and ignored Iruka as he ran out the lunch room.

* * *

Naruto was continuing to run, soon, ending up near the entrance of the building. He bashed through the door, going outside into the cold weather, he had tears falling down his face, he ran up to a training dummy.

Jumping into the air, the blonde landed the largest haymaker he could, and started to punch it furiously. He screamed out as he felt the rage boil over him, imagining the training dummy as Genmaru and his cronies.

He continued to punch it as Iruka came along, he looked at the blonde with sad eyes as he watched him continue to hit the dummy. One haymaker making Naruto himself cringe, pulling his hand back, he had accidentally extended one of his fingers out during the punch. Breaking it.

Naruto easily bit back the pain, his physical tolerance was legendary as such. His emotional tolerance was something left to be desired, he was ruled by his emotions. He never knew why, he never wanted to feel them as much as he did, but he could feel _them_.

 _Their_ hateful comments, and criticism made _his_ life miserable.

 _Their_ constant badgering made him second guess himself.

 _Their_ constant bullying, and torment, made him depressed.

The blonde just reset his broken finger, looking at the dummy, he glared at it. Imagining Genmaru, Kin, and Keno. He then noticed Iruka behind him, he turned to him, and had a depressed look on his face. The blonde just hanged his head low, and sighed.

"So are you down calming down?" Iruka asked.

"I'm done with this bullshit..." Naruto muttered as he sat down at the dummy's base.

"You can't keep letting your emotions rule you like this, it's good to have them, but it's not good let them control your every thought and action." Iruka says as he set next to Naruto.

"Yeah, well, what the heck am I supposed to do? I can't ignore them, I can't fight back either without one of you jumping down my throat. So tell me something, you're an instructor, what would you do?" Naruto asked.

"Honestly, probably what you're doing right now." Iruka answered catching Naruto off guard.

The blonde looked up at him, surprised at his answer, and he brought his knees to his chest.

"Then why do you criticize me, if you would do what am I doing." Naruto said in sadness.

"Because, it doesn't help. Naruto, I know what it's like, growing up without family. I lost my father, and mother, at nine. I never felt so lonely, but, I can't imagine how you must be. Growing fully alone, and as for them in there, don't worry about them." Iruka says as he pointed towards The Academy.

"How can I not worry about them when they do this stuff, I just lost out on a meal today because of them." Naruto clenched his fists. "It's not fair."

"Well...I'll say something to The Head Instructor. Hopefully she can fix some things out, now come on. Class is starting." Iruka held out his hand.

Naruto hanged his head low, but slowly brought his hand towards Iruka's. Clenching it, Iruka helped the boy up, and soon they were walking back towards the school. Naruto looked at the place with hatred, he hated this place.

He would just to have to continue, and push forward.


	2. Chapter two

"Will that be all sir?" Asked a man who was currently at a store counter.

A brown spiky hair boy was standing on the opposite end of the counter, he had green eyes, and wore a gray T-shirt, and a pair of black cargo pants. He had a much slimmer face then most kids, his jawline wasn't really rounded.

"Yes, also can I please get the paint brushes?" The man nodded and went behind the counter.

He was shuffling around, not noticing the boy was staring at the oni mask he had just bought. Along with, the strange addition, of a fake boar's tail. Which was rather long, and made of synthetic wool fur. A common thing inside of Konoha's lower end clothing shops.

"Yeah, yeah, here you go Mayu. Will that be all?" The man inquired as he ringed up the brushes.

"Yes." The boy identified as Mayu answered as he pulled out his wallet.

"Okay, total is Twenty Copper Notes." Mayu nodded as he reached into his wallet.

He pulled out the shiny copper colored pieces of paper, and handed it to the man. The man looked at it through the light, making sure they weren't fake. He smiled, and motioned the kid to the leave. The kid nodded, taking his things, and walked out through the door.

* * *

Mayu arrived outside a small apartment complex, it wasn't exactly well maintained, but not the worst in the village. He walked up the flights of steps unnoticed, and made his way into an apartment door covered by graffiti.

He smiled as he entered his kitchen, which was trashy, with old dinner plates smelling of mold and mildew rags laying about. He would make it a note to clean his surroundings when his hot water came back on, whenever the bastard of a landlord would get onto it.

The brown haired boy clapped his hands together, smoke filled the kitchen, as out from the smoke Naruto appeared. He smiled as he felt some more chakra return to him from The Copper Notes he gave the man.

It was all fine to him, another bastard that didn't deserve any kindness, at least he supposed. Naruto looked at the oni mask, and smirked. He grabbed it, laying it over his face, it was indeed a perfect fit. His tooth grin appeared as he took off the mask.

"Wow, wait until tomorrow night assholes, you're going to find that the fox boy isn't some loser! I'm going to make you piss your pants, ya know. Now, this paint, hmm where to begin?" Naruto as he looked at it.

He got out a brush, which was thin, he got out a small mirror he kept in the cabinet. He looked at himself as he began paint his eye sockets, lightly gray, with a black outline near the eye. He knew one of the boys wouldn't be home tonight, so he would start with him.

He continued his panting, making his whisker marks more prominent through the paint. He made sure to paint his lips to a darken black, and opened his mouth to attack the fake serrated teeth. Quickly, he took a knife, cutting the bottom part of mask off slowly. Sawing it to fine line, and fitted it over his face.

The mask stopped coming down over his lips, just like he wanted. He cut around the eye sockets of the mask, making sure the holes would match his eyes, and smiled when he put the mask back on. He almost gleeful cackled.

"Ahem, I am the great terrible demon Akuma, fear me mortal!" Naruto phrased in a deepen voice and frowned when he felt it was still too much like his.

He applied chakra to his throat, and coughed a little bit from the strain it caused, he cleared his throat of anything that could block in his perfecting of his performance. Finally, when he felt ready, he gathered some breath.

"I am the great terrible demon Akuma, fear me mortal!" Naruto shouted louder and tired to deepen his voice as he said his opening line.

" _Goddamn it, not enough oomph into it, hmm...I know!"_ Naruto almost screamed outside as his own mind.

Naruto reached gathered more chakra into his throat, and smiled. He breathed deeper, making his the sounds guttural at best. He cleared his throat once more, before uttering his line.

" **I am the great terrible demon Akuma, fear me mortal!** Bing, that's got it!" Naruto said as he exited his guttural voicing.

He took off his mask, and painted it fully red. He quickly took the larger brush, dipping into the jar of red paint. He begin to paint his arms, and neck just below his shirt coughs, and neckline. He then added the killing blow to his appearance, and gathered chakra into his eyes.

He formed the tiger hand seal, and slowly his one ocean blue eyes formed into golden color. Like that of iron in high amounts of heat. He looked at himself in the mirror, and made sure to pull a large cloak that he bought with the costume over his body.

Quickly Naruto put on the fake claw nails, and scratched his stomach, making sure they wouldn't cut him. He wanted mental revenge, not physical, it always made him laugh when the pray his pranks feared further more reprisal.

He begin walking to his door, locking it, and made his way towards the window in the back bedroom. He added the same amount of chakra, and toning to his voice as when he made the guttural demon sounding one.

He slid open the window, and went out tonight...he was now on the hunt.

* * *

Kin...that unmissable golden boy of the classroom. The idiot had sneaked out of his parents again for the night, and was going to a friend's house. In fact, he was on his way to Keno's house, Naruto had made it habit to watch his movements for the past two weeks since the incident at the cafeteria.

That bastard, that average looking, no good rotten, piece of trash bastard was high and mighty. Had he ever thought, had he ever known, what a true demon was? Naruto wasn't a true demon, unless you wanted him to play the part, and indeed he was playing the part tonight.

Tonight, under all the makeup, under the mask. He could feel that blood boiling sensation, he was angry. He was more than angry, he was hurt, how dare this piece of _human_ trash think he was better?!

Sure, he had a mother and father. He had a good home, he had class, and money whenever he wanted it. He didn't have to rely on...certain methods to feed himself sometimes. Either from taking an apple from a stall when no one was looking, or...faking an IOU paper as Copper Notes.

However, if there was physical thing he was going to do, it came from what he held inside of his hands. A rope lassoed at the top, he was going to lasso that bastard's feet, and pull him into an alley.

So quickly, he ran along the rooftops, watching his prey run into crowded alleyway. One after another, Naruto felt as if this was going to be a waste of time tonight, and all his effort in vain. However, when Kin finally crossed into an empty alleyway. Naruto found his chance, and was all too happy to take it.

When Kin turned around from the wall, Naruto silently landed behind him, and begin to twirl the rope. Kin had no idea, even if had an incline, it would've been far too late to escape the demon's claws.

The rope grabbed his feet, tying it into a inescapable lasso. Kin screamed out as he was slowly dragged, begging, and pleader for the person to stop. He finally came face to face with the golden eyes of something.

He was picked up by his shirt, and felt the thing sniff his neck. The thing chuckled as it's face came into the light. Kin swore it was the demon king himself, he had the eyes, and the features. The clawed hands dug into the neckline of his shirt.

" **I am the great terrible demon Akuma, fear me mortal!** "Naruto yelled in the guttural voice as he pushed the boy on the alleyway wall.

"I...I...no, please, no...this is genjutsu. I'm...your...just...a story, not real, not real..." Kin shakily said as he stared into the yellow eyes of the demon king himself.

" **Do you not fear me?! I am greatly, and easily offended boy!** " Naruto screamed as he slammed Kin into the alleyway again.

"I do, please, please don't kill me!" Kin begged for his life and clapped his hands in surrender.

Naruto was very amused, and all this just took was few minutes of painting...poorly mind you. A few body paints, and his ability to change his voice. Kin was sobbing when Naruto reached his claws under his chin, and raised his head up.

" **Oh don't worry little one, I don't want to kill you, after all your fear boiling in your heart is just so...satisfying. I'll make you deal, do you want to live child?** " The boy nodded his vigorously and tears feel from his face.

"Y-yes, I want to live, don't eat me!" Kin begged as he accepted to hear the terms of Naruto's deal.

" **You have until midnight, on the last day of this week, to bring the one known as Genmaru Yaku, and Ken Yumimaru to this village's graveyards. If you fail, I will eat your soul!** " Kin nodded as he kept his eyes close as Naruto moved his face closer to his throat.

"I'll...I'll...I will do it, please, just don't kill me!" Kin screamed as his found his binds untied.

He was too scared to move as he slid down the wall, Naruto smirked as he looked the quivering form of Kin, and shook his head laughing in his guttural voice as he jumped onto the roofs.

Kin just slowly got up, and shook as he walked.

* * *

Naruto walked into the school the next day, all the paint had been washed off in cold water. He had a big smile on his face. Akuma had played his part right, and looked at Kin. He seemed to be shaken up, and smiled as he walked past him.

"What are you smiling at freak?!" He shouted as he looked at Naruto.

"Oh, I'm just having a good day, why don't you just leave me alone ya know?" Naruto replied as he continued to walk.

He exhumed confidence, even if they would pull shit today, he was already set to his revenge. He was going to tear their friendship to pieces, he was going to watch them crumble. He was going to enjoy every moment of it!

He would take their name calling, he would take their distasteful comments, and he most certainly enjoy every jab into his ribs today. For today was the last day of the school week, and into the weekend, where he would plan for a day. Act normal, be _normal_ , and finally when that night came.

Oh, when that night came, he would show them a monster. Oh, he would show them a definite monster, and the most enjoyable thing. It wasn't going to be him, it was going to be Kin, oh poor little Kin.

It made him smile so depressed he was that the innocent bastard would get what he deserved, and he would have no take backs. If he brought back any other people along, it would just be more the merrier, and he would still found his revenge.

Kin, and his friends glared at him as he walked along to his next class.

* * *

Naruto was currently on top of a tree branch, and he was loving the sight of Kin talking to his friends. Oh, he could hear them, and it was how Kin wanted to pull a prank on Naruto today at lunch, too bad, he would be sitting right here at lunch.

After all, he wasn't very hungry to begin with today, and was just going to play a little bit more of the game. Right now, he was writing a letter for Kin. Inside of it was note, and inside that very note described the details for what Kin was going to do.

And, it also included what would happen if he didn't...or loosened his lips before the grand finale. Indeed this was going to become more brilliant than he could hope for, and Naruto was exactly taking Iruka's advice.

He couldn't punch everyone, and anyone, but he didn't include about messing with them. If he was going to do this, and he wanted to, boy he wanted to. The blonde was going to make sure it went off without a hitch, and he made sure to be ready for his own reveal.

The look on their faces, oh the looks on their faces, and it would all be priceless.

Naruto was so focused, he never noticed anyone below him, and finally he heard the whimpering.

He looked down to see navy blue haired girl, probably no more than his age...maybe a year younger. She had pale lavender eyes, and pale figure. She was currently brushing some tears from her eyes, she looked entirely sad.

"Oi, you there, what's wrong?" Naruto asked as he finally took notice.

"N-n-n-nothing, j-just sad..." The girl said as she brought her knees to her chest.

Naruto groaned a little bit, dropping down, and landed next to her. He could see where she had been crying for a while, had he been so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice? Finally he sighed, and stared at her.

"Why do you let them run over you, you're a princess aren't you? What's your name again, Hima, Hina, something like that?" Naruto inquired.

"Hinata...an-and, I...I'm sor-sort of a prin-princess." She answered.

"Then don't let them run over you like that, I heard some of the girls call you names, it's not really fair. My name's Naruto by the way." Naruto said extending out his hand.

She took his hand, she felt so cold inside the snow covered playground, and somehow Naruto felt so warm. She blushed a little from being this close to a boy, but paid no heed to it. She just wanted to curl next to him, but she was honestly too shy at the moment.

"I...know, I see yo-you aroun-around class." Hinata stuttered.

"Jeez, you must think I'm some sort of creep then, hanging out here all by myself?" Naruto joked.

"N-no, I...I think yo-your brave." Hinata commented in her stutter.

Naruto smiled, and realized that they had been holding hands a little too long. Finally, he let go, and leaned back on the tree. He looked as the clouds rolled by, gray and dull. He missed the spring's blue skies, and white clouds.

"Well...thanks, I guess? I just don't take their bullshit ya know, besides none of them are no better than us. I mean, think about this really quick. I'm poor, I mean broke as a joke ya know. When I die, I'm still gonna be put in some frigging box somewhere. So will they, at some point, maybe sooner maybe later." Naruto spoke with some sort of grief inside of his voice.

"I hate it when people throw around _who_ they are, and how much _class_ they have. Really, it's not the place for someone doing what were gonna do!" Hinata nodded in agreement.

She watched as Naruto sighed some more, and looked at The Academy. He seemed to have a look of disdain in his eyes. Like he hated the, and looked more focused on finding ways to avoid going back in.

"P-P-Pardon me, what's I-Iruka teaching us to-today?" Hinata asked.

"Some stupid crap about the clone jutsu, I heard it all last year, I'm actually on time to graduate. But, I tried early, and well...you see the results of overconfidence." Naruto chuckled as he motioned to himself.

"Oh...I see." Hinata said as she looked at him.

"Yeah, well I can do transformation pretty good, but I suck at clone jutsu. I mean, I can't create a decent clone to save my life. Sure, three is the requirement, and if I do two I'm almost golden. But, when it comes to three, I'm screwed." Naruto explained as he got up.

"Here, watch." Naruto said as he clapped both his hands together.

A second, and third Naruto soon appeared standing to his side. They almost looked like him, saved one had lighter hair, and another had darker eyes. Naruto's clone stood motionless, but to Naruto's movement they mimicked to a fault.

Hinata had something different about here, her eyes had grown bulging veins around them, she looked at the clones. Noticing how they had little chakra put into them, but were very well controlled. However, it looked like the control was strained.

Naruto took notice of her change, and looked at her.

"Um...what's up with your eyes?" Naruto inquired as he pointed at her.

Hinata panicked, and made her eyes go back to normal. She had an embarrassed look upon her face.

"So-sorry, that was my B-Bya-Byakugan, it helps me see chakra." Naruto looked a little confused.

"Um, isn't chakra, like invisible to everyone but the user?" Naruto asked as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"No-normally yes, but my bloodline, it helps me see it." Hinata explained a little.

"Well, since you can see chakra, can you um...tell me what I did wrong then?" Naruto asked in actual fascination.

"I gu-guess." Hinata replied as she readied her bloodline.

Naruto dispelled the clones, their chakra flowing back into him. He then slapped his hands together once more, and formed one clone. Hinata looked at the single clone, noting that it was perfect. It had no flaws inside of it, and almost looked...solid?

Naruto dispelled it after hearing nothing from Hinata, and formed two clones like before. He looked at the clones, noticing the two defects. The skin color of one was darker than the original, and the others eyes were solid blue with no pupil. With the clothing much different, at a much more whiter scale than Naruto's.

"You-you're doing great in control...but not in chakra." Hinata summarized as she looked at the clones.

"Well, why didn't you say so? Hang on!" Naruto cheerful said as he dispelled the clones.

Naruto clapped his hands together in the tiger hand seal again, and this time focus more chakra into the clones...much more chakra. Finally, he released the jutsu, and several puffs of smoke formed behind him.

Hinata watched on as seven clones emerged, three looked perfect, in fact she couldn't tell the difference based on a glace alone. The other four had some minor flaws, the seventh one being the biggest one, which was no pupils in the eyes. A very noticeable flaw indeed, but the fact there stood seven clones, that in itself was a feat.

"W-wow, that's great...you got three pe-per-perfect clones." Naruto fist pumped.

However, something strange happened, one of the clones talked.

"Yeah, dude, I knew I could do it. Ya hear that guys, we did it!" One of the clones turned to the other.

"Oh I know right, I mean there is our original doing a fist pump. We frigging did it boys!" Another clone whooped.

The third clone went towards them, and Naruto just stared in abstract wonderment. He looked at the other clones, which seemed to not be moving at all. The other three clones that were talking, and moving walked around looking at the other clones.

"Hey, hey! Are you dumb, mute?" One of the clones waived his hands over the motionless flawed clone's face.

"Yeah dumb asses, say something will ya?!" A Naruto clone shouted.

"Yeah, speak, speak up!" The third clone said as he tried to hit the flawed clone.

"Eh, what the, you went right through him!" One of the Naruto's clone pointed out.

"I know...is...is he a ghost?!" The third clone said jumping back as he pointed at the flaw clones.

"I don't know, look around, let see...three of us, four of them. Meh, maybe." The first Naruto clone said as he shrugged.

"Okay Hinata...you can drop the joke now." Naruto said solemnly as he looked at her.

"Wh-what are yo-you taking about?" Hinata stuttered as she inquired.

"I'm saying stop playing tricks on me, clones don't talk, and they don't have free will!" Naruto yelled as he pointed at the clones.

"Th-that's because, I thin-think you added...m-m-way too much th-this time." Naruto groaned after not hearing her confession of guilt and walked over to the clones.

"Okay first of all, you're all dumb asses, your all clones. Not, I'm going to prove it!" Naruto said as he walked over to one of the clones.

The clone looked at him confused, until he watched Naruto draw his fist back.

"W-wait boss!" The clone screamed only to get solidly punched in the face.

Naruto actually felt it! He felt the impact of the fist, and the how solid he had hit the clone. He watched as the clone slammed to the ground, before exploding in a cloud of smoke. Naruto blinked for a moment, his brain trying to process what happened.

"Um...Hinata...I want to apologize." Naruto said as the other two clones looked at the girl.

"Apology accepted." Hinata sighed as she watched the two clones looked at the four fake ones.

"Say boss, what's up, why ain't they talking like us?" One of the clones asked.

"Yeah, you said they are clones, why ain't they talking?!" The other cognitive Naruto clone joined in yelling.

"Oh for the love of...I don't know!" Naruto screamed as he looked at the clones.

"Yo, look at your hand boss, did you catch the clone in the tooth or something?!" One of the clones shouted as he watched blood trickle down Naruto's hand.

"Uh, wait, what the hell?! Hinata, the clones, they're solid! Why are they solid, oh holy crap! Ow, this actually hurts!" Naruto complained as he held his hand as pain finally registered.

"I...don't know." Hinata lowered her head in defeat.

"Okay, everyone chill out! Boss, you to! Okay, we're currently experiencing some really weird shit. I'm talking, he's talking, and they aren't. Boss is freaking out that we can, and apparently we're solid!" The clone shouted in an attempt calm everyone down.

"Wait, hold up, how do you know your solid. Maybe, the clone I hit was a fluke eh? I mean...oh crap, I guess. You can punch me, and we'll find out." Naruto said as he stood straight up.

The clones looked at each other, before shrugging, the clones walked over to the original. One of them cocked their fist back, before throwing a haymaker at Naruto. The poor blonde was sent to the ground, a big lump forming on his head.

"Oh...my...rotting...luck..." Naruto groaned until he felt a sharp kick on his side. "The fuck?!"

The other clone rubbed his head sheepishly, before chuckling.

"Sorry boss...I wanted to test myself out." The clone that kicked Naruto said as he continued to rub his head sheepishly.

"Okay...so we're solid. Um, so boss, are you okay?" Naruto groaned as he got up.

"Just peachy..." Naruto said as he rubbed the lump on his head.

"Okay, so can you like...dispel us?" Naruto shrugged.

He slammed both of his hands together, and watched as the four obviously fake clones dispelled, but the others remained. Now, Naruto was stumped. He looked at the clones wide eyed for a moment, before groaning out in frustration as he rubbed his temple.

"I give up, that's it, I'm done!" Naruto screamed as he sat back down besides Hinata.

"Um...N-Naruto, your chakra...it's still feeding the clones." Hinata said worriedly.

"So..." Naruto grumbled as he looked at the two clones bantering.

"I...I thin-think you should hit them..." Hinata instructed without confidence.

"Oh, yeah...but, I actually am enjoying this a little bit." Naruto said as he watched the clones begin to argue.

"Why?" Hinata asked.

"Because, it makes me wonder, would I act this way with a twin brother. I mean...um, oh...wow...wow-wow-ow. Man...I'm feeling so exhausted, and weak...why?" Naruto asked as he felt hazy.

"Naruto...the clones, t-they're draining you." Hinata stated as she looked as chakra flowed to the clones.

"Okay...assholes, what's the big idea?! Why you draining me for?" The clones looked at Naruto for a moment.

"Um, boss, what do you mean? We're not doing anything to harm you, you okay? The clones asked.

"Well, Hinata over said you're draining me, so either I believe you fakes or a friend!" Naruto screamed as he pointed to both parties.

"Um...I think our boss blew a gasket? He's all red face, I mean, look at him...why's he mad at us?" One of the clones asked.

"Well, that's a good question, he says were draining him. But, since we're clones, we shouldn't be. After all clones are created with a set limit of chakra, once that expires we're supposed to fade away." The other clone explained.

"Yet, one of us just went in a puff of smoke." The other clone stoically countered.

"Touche, so...I guess we got to get hit or something?" The second clone asked.

"Maybe, okay, let's give it a try!" The other clone agreed and backed up.

They then ran at each other, and careened into each other. A resounding smack could be heard as the clones hit each other, and both fell to the ground. Dispelling into smoke, which drifted into the wind that blew on the grounds.

"Oh thank you, I feel so much better..." Naruto mumbled as he laid against the tree.

" _Uzumaki Naruto!"_ The sound of a scream field the area as Naruto only groaned.

"Oh...into the fire I go, sorry Hinata." Naruto said as he got up.

"It's okay...th-thank you, by th-the way...fo-for calling me fr-friend." Hinata spoke as she tried to help Naruto up.

"No mention it..." Naruto smiled.


	3. Chapter three

Naruto was currently at his apartment, he looked at the mess. It was the day before his big prank, and he had gotten fresh materials, and looked at the masks. Of course he was going to burn them afterwards, just in case Anbu came knocking at his door.

The mess however, which was absolutely horrible, was his main focus.

" _Eh, where to start...mildew rags? No, they smell horrid. Moldy dishes? No, same thing. Clothes, maybe, but time consuming. Man, I wish I had some help this, but I doubt Hinata would want to come over here...troublesome."_ Naruto's eyes widened for a moment.

" _Okay brain, please for all intensive purposes delete the word Troublesome from my mind, Nara uses it way too much!"_ Naruto rubbed his temple with both hands.

He looked at all of the stains on the counter, all of the cuts on it as well from when he never used a cutting board, they were absolutely ruined. He couldn't really just throw everything out, a few costumes here and there were fine. He could sneak them in, and the fake money wasn't really used by the same transformation twice.

However, he seriously doubt that the villager's were so incompetent not to see a young blonde pariah carrying all new stuff. Something like that, and for good reasons, didn't exactly slip by unnoticed.

So, new stuff plans were outta of the water...for now.

He scratched his chin, thinking of something, and looked at all of the mess. Finally, he came up with a rather radical idea. He could use his clones!

Naruto clapped his hands together in the tiger seal, and poured the amount of chakra he thought he needed. Three clones, all of them looking very wrong appeared, and fell to the ground. Naruto's eye twitched, and he dispelled them.

"Okay...let's try this again, more chakra..." Naruto mumbled as he clapped his hands together.

He accidentally slipped his right hand's middle, and index finger slightly across the left hand's fingers. It wasn't exactly perfect, just askew, as if it was a tilting bar across the the left hand's fingers.

"Clone Jutsu!" Naruto called out.

Five clones appeared, two of them looked like perfect copies, and the other three were slightly different. One of the two perfect clones begin to blink, before sniffing the air, he recoiled in disgust.

"Goddamn dude, spray some air freshener!" The clone spat as he gagged on the air.

Naruto blinked for a moment, before pumping his arm in victory. He looked at the clone who currently had a hand over his nose, and the clone looked at him.

"Sup boss, this your place, cause it's a dump!" The clone spoke loudly.

"Oh why thank you, now you're going to help me clean it!" Naruto screamed as he grabbed the clone roughly by the shirt.

The clone just burst into smoke, leaving behind no trace, and leaving a bewildered Naruto. The blonde stared blankly where he had been holding the clone, and blinked. Finally, after a few moments, the gears in his mind began to turn.

"Fuck..." Naruto mumbled as he went back to clapping his hands together.

Soon enough five clones appeared, three of which looked perfect, but motionless. Naruto counted his blessings, it would seem chakra was the thing he needed to create the clones. However, he was now bewildered, since here stood five clones, and the three that were had none moving.

Naruto went in front of them, before kicking at each shin. Only for his foot to pass through, he growled a little bit. He dispelled them again, trying it again, same result. Over, and over, and over. He grumbled a little bit more.

Cursing now with each passing breath, he wasn't in a great mood anymore. All in reality, he was just frustrated. He finally gathered his bearings, and walked towards the door. He needed some cold, fresh air.

He was going to figure out how to make them more real like before.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Naruto was standing on the roof his apartment, and practicing the clone jutsu. He growled out as they had became perfect, but none of them moved. He continued doing this over, and over again. Drawing on more chakra than he thought he had, and vast amounts of his energy going towards these fake clones.

" _Come on...seriously, this can't be that hard. I've got to seven clones, all perfect, a straight to hours. None of them moving!"_ Naruto roared out as he screamed at the clones.

"Say something you hollow mother-aah!" Naruto screamed as he tried to punch one.

He instead caught a piece of ice, and slipped, falling on his face. Raising his head from the snow, the blonde looked at the clones, and sighed as he dispelled them. Quickly he checked himself, seeing one of his fingers had broke from the impact to the roofing.

It was his middle finger, so he lowered all of the other fingers, and grabbed it. He set it back, hissing in the pain, he could feel his joints beginning to heal. The blonde sat down in the snow, he blew a strand of hair that fell towards his eye.

"I'm so confused, one moment it works, next poof. Nothing, zip, empty clones." Naruto muttered to himself.

He heard some laughter at the bottom of the roof, and walked over to look down. He sat down, looking at the people walking by, and some children around his age walking with their parents. Some of the children he realized were from The Academy.

Sitting there, his legs dangled in the air, and he felt a tinge of sadness hit heart. He looked at the parents of the children buying them gifts, Rinne, was just around the corner after all. He closed his eyes, and contemplated several things.

He could go talk to Iruka, but he probably wouldn't listen to him.

He could go find Hinata, wherever she was, and ask her what he was doing wrong...since she seemed knowledgeable about chakra.

" _I could...just...I don't know. I could ask the old man, but his secretary just drives me off, bitch, but I doubt he'd have time anyway. I couldn't find Hinata if I tried, I mean, none of the villagers would probably not point me in the right direction...assholes."_ Naruto pondered until he came to a blank.

He just watched the children talking to their parents, friends, loved ones. It all burned in his mind, and strangely he felt bitter. Angry even, and it was infectious to his other actions. Which was the moisture he began to feel in his eyes.

Finally he felt something roll down them, he just closed his eyes. Several more of the moisture spots broke free, and traveled down his face. Tears had began to fall, and he just curled his knees towards his chest.

He didn't want to feel alone, not anymore at least, he wanted some inkling on how to do something. He just wanted an exact clue, no runaround, no bullshit. Like those kids got, everyday he saw it, and he hated it with a passion.

His anger, his sadness, all were a combination. He never liked to cry while angry, and he hated this time of year. Ever since he had been a toddler, everyone took extra time to be with ones they loved, none made time for the blonde haired _fox boy_ as he got dubbed.

It would make him just feel better if he could just do something he discovered himself, something that he managed to do by accident, and wanted to do it again. Perfectly, every time, then he would blow away the competition in graduation.

He wanted to prove people wrong, about how they thought about him, like he was a loser asking for a hand out anytime he had a question!

" _ **Cross...tigers...**_ " Naruto whipped around at the deep voice.

He got up, looking around, he saw no one. The Anbu that were on the rooftops hadn't moved an inch, and he just looked on as some snow began to fall. Tears began to freeze a little on his face, and he walked on the roof.

"H-hello, whose there?" Naruto asked about and received no answers.

He had asked again, and again. He looked around, seeing no one near him, feeling nothing out of the ordinary either. Otherwise his instincts would have blared any signs of intrusion, or threat. Gripping his orange coat he looked about.

Nothing, just the wind, the snow, and the talk of the villagers. Nothing was out of the ordinary, silently he pondered what he had heard.

" _Cross...tigers? What does that mean?"_ Naruto rubbed his chin for a moment.

Thinking about the hand seals, he had learned three, one he only used. Which was tiger, which he used for both clone, and transformation jutsu. The symbol helped direct chakra throughout his body, and helped him flow outward to create the clones.

He never thought about it, but cross tiger might have been a new symbol. Bringing up one hand, he looked at the half tiger symbol, which was the index finger, and middle finger of one hand not meeting the other of the opposite hand.

" _Cross...tigers? Cross...cross...cross...cross."_ Naruto looked at it.

He brought up his other hand, and looked at the set of fingers. His eyes opened widely, and he smiled as he brought his right hand up. The tiger symbol was straight up, and looked naturally like half of the required two.

However, he then used the other tiger symbol, and placed it horizontally in front of the right hand. He flared his chakra up, and roared as he unleashed the jutsu. He felt his chakra split, instead of flow, and began to take shape on the ground near him.

There was four, instead of five, but that was beside the point. He felt his chakra divide itself, not flow itself, and he watched as puffs of smoke appeared on the roof.

"Clone jutsu!" Naruto yelled as the puffs of smoke became larger.

Finally, the resounding pop was heard, and he watched as four figures in shadows appeared. They walked out, and each looked exactly like Naruto. The blonde had the biggest smile on his face, his face flowed with joyed.

He fell to his knees, and raised his hands in the air.

"Hallelujah!" Naruto screamed as the clones looked at their boss as if he had just grown a second head.

"Um...sup boss?" One of the clones asked.

"Wait a minute he's getting up, and he looks like he's crying." A second clone pointed out as their boss got up.

"Yo, you're right, he seemed so happy...wait he's happy. Holy shit, I can tell he's happy!" A third clone shouted.

"Yeah me to, it must be this cool little error in the clone jutsu. Yeah, suck it Academy!" A Naruto clone shouted as he pumped his fist.

"Wait a minute, if we can feel how he is, then why aren't we crying?" The first clone inquired as he rubbed his chin.

"Beats me, hey boss, you good?!" The second clone shouted.

"Oh yeah I'm good, hell yeah, I'm awesome. Hang on!" Naruto ran up to the clones.

He gently went around touching their faces, before smiling brightly. They all felt warm, and soft. The eyes of blonde had never held such joy before, he looked around, and looked as the clones stared at him. Finally, there was the moment he needed to test something out.

He crossed his tiger symbol again, and looked at the clones.

"Hang on a second guys, I need to try something!" Naruto shouted.

The clones stood there until, finally, one by one they popped out of existence. Naruto had the sense of elation across his face, and then released the symbol. Only to reform it, and bring forth four more clones.

Naruto watched as they moved around as well, and just shook his head. Was he really doing this, and was this really happening. Oh, he would be so infuriated if this was a dream, and he was about to wake up. So, he needed to check.

"Someone, anyone, punch me!" Naruto screamed at the clones.

One of the clones ran up to him, and Naruto wish came true with surprisingly accurate results. The clone jumped into the air, before socking him right in the jaw. Naruto had the one moment before the punch to realize two things, one be careful what you wish for, and two clones _can_ hurt like hell.

Naruto fell to the ground from the punch, his jaw swelled slightly. He ran around, looked at the clones, who just rubbed their just subconsciously. Naruto spat out some blood that formed in his mouth, and looked at the clones.

"Holy crap...I'm really not a failure." Naruto muttered as he watched the four clones.

"Huh, why's he saying that?" A clone asked as he looked at the others.

'Don't know man, he's weird, our boss is kind of weird...wait that means were weird." The second clone stated.

"I'm not weird, I'm fucking awesome!" The third shouted.

"Hey you little punk, stop that language this instant!" A older lady from the balcony of a nearby apartment shouted.

All of the the Narutos walked over towards the yelling, the woman was ready to continue yelling at Naruto. Only to see four more of the blonde boy to stand besides a fifth one. The older lady's voice cracked a little as she looked bewildered.

Naruto just smiled like a snake would, evilly, and looked towards the other clones.

"What...when...how...what stupid trick is this?!" The woman shouted.

The four clones nodded at each other, bending down, and grabbing a handful of snow. They began to mold the snow into a ball. Naruto just showed one canine with his grin, and held his hand in the air. The clones cocked their arms back, and smiled the same.

"Look here you old hag, you've done nothing but cause me trouble my entire time here. You take down my clothes off the hanging racks, and you toss them to the ground! So guess what, Naruto's getting his today. Men...are you ready!" Naruto shouted as he looked at the clones.

"Oi!" The clones screamed in unison.

The woman made a beeline for her door.

"Fire!" Naruto ordered loudly.

The snowballs in the clones hands went soaring at the woman, who barely made it to her door in time to avoid getting hit by a snowball in time. They each started grabbing snow, and lobbing it at the door.

When the woman wasn't looking to come back out, Naruto looked at his clones, and smiled.

"Victory for The Uzumaki Team!" Naruto shouted as he fist bumped the clones two at a time.

"Dude, that awesome...we just showed her! Hey, didn't she call us a little bastard at one time?" One of the clones inquired.

"Yeah, she's mean, I mean seriously." The second chimed in.

"Yep, good riddance!" The third one said as he slapped his hands.

Naruto looked at the clones, and smiled. The blonde then thought of something, and smiled. He now had four clones, all of them corporal, and thinking. The clones looked at him, and noticed his thoughts.

"So, boss what's the plan?" A clone asked.

* * *

The five blondes looked at the apartment, save the dings, and impossible to clean stains. It had all came together, two clones worked on the dishes, and two worked on the clothing. Naruto himself had been cleaning the wooden floor the best way he could.

Which was getting on his knees, and using a sponge to wipe the grime off with soap and water.

It was difficult work, it had taken almost three hours, but for some reason Naruto didn't feel so tired as he did yesterday. He was currently looking at the clones, and smiled. The clones had been working their butts off, and he thought it was time to release them.

"Okay guys, thanks for the help, hang on." Naruto said as he made the crossed tigers.

The clones waived bye as they each popped out of existence, all of them having a smile on their face. Naruto felt his head begin to throb with a little bit of pain, and sighed as he just looked at the empty room.

Was he starting to feel the after effects of the jutsu, finally, after almost hours of having it active.

Naruto walked towards the apartment door, and looked through the peephole. It had began to once again snow outside, this time it was coming down harder. The blonde wasn't too worried about it, Konoha got plenty of snow storms this time of year anyhow.

Something still possessed him to grab his coat, and walk outside.

* * *

Naruto found himself just walking, nothing more, nothing less. Walking along a snow covered path, the streets were now empty. The citizens had all went inside for the night. Naruto however, heard these phantom noises in his head.

Rinne was coming, and for the eleventh year, Naruto was probably going to be without someone. He walked towards Ichiraku Ramen, a stand he frequented. In truth, if he had anyone remotely close to longtime friends. It would be the people of this stand, Ayame Ichiraku, and her father Teuichi.

He didn't frequent as much as he liked, guests seemed to get up and leave when he entered, in their defense he didn't really shower for days due to his stupid landlord not fixing the water heater.

The stand was closed down, indicating that no one was in, sighing he just shrugged. He was more or less just looking to talk anyway, not buy, he didn't have money. He wouldn't have any until the first of next month. Since he was still a civilian, and an orphan, he qualified for a displacement fund.

Which would be available until he was thirteen, or a graduate of some sort of school.

The blonde rounded a corner, seeing a group of people hollering, and cheering for something. Naruto growing curious made his way towards the noise, and found the group people were celebrating over money being put onto a table.

"Okay ladies, and gents. I'll place down a bet that you all won't guess the right cup. I'm going to offer a Silver Note. If you guess it, not only do you get the pot, you get the silver note. Now place your bets. You have three playable circles out of the six." An elderly man said as he motioned towards the cups.

The people all waited as the man held a pebble in his hand, he let it be seen by all. He then threw it into a cup, which was one of the furthest circle to the left. The man chuckled as he slowly started to rotate the cups, before speeding up the rotation.

Naruto's instincts kicked in, he watched as the man kept spinning the cups around, and around. Finally, what seem to have been like a blur to others, did it slowly start becoming fast for Naruto. The blonde as the man stopped, and motioned for the people to make their bets.

Many of the people threw their money down on the far left circle, which wasn't a bad idea, since many game masters often tried to trick their audiences into believing they had placed it elsewhere. On another note, some had placed it on the total opposite side.

Finally in the middle, a small amount of money towards the middle, and the man just chuckled as he lifted up the cups.

The far left cup, the one with the most money, was of course empty. Naruto frowned slightly as he watched the man pick up the middle cup. There was nothing in that one, and Naruto swore that one had to have been it. Even if he wasn't playing.

Finally the last cup, and it of course was a dud like the others. No big shocker there, Naruto watched as some of the people leave. He lowered his face to make himself unnoticed as possible, and he noticed something land on the ground.

It was a single Copper Note, and he quickly picked up. Someone must had dropped it, oh well, it was Naruto's now. The blonde watched as the people began to play another round, and as with the first round he saw...the house won.

Naruto shook his head, and watched as more people left.

"Can anyone not best me tonight, I'm going to be a rich man by the end of this one folks. I tell you what, one Gold Note, that's it! On top of the silver note for any circle winner, I'll offer a Gold Note!" The man screamed as he slammed it down.

Many of the people watched as he began to spin the cups, once again, he stopped. Many of the people had chosen two cups on the same right side, and one on the far opposite left. The man chuckled as he lifted the cups.

No pebble, no money, nothing.

Naruto was all that remained of the crowd, the kid was currently watching the elderly man begin to pack up the gaming table. The elderly man then noticed the kid, and looked at him.

" _The poor idiot is just holding one copper note, he'll be easy. After all, one little bitty more note couldn't hurt. Idiot."_ The man snickered as Naruto walked up to the table.

"Final call, final call, you can win it all. Come now, come now, don't be shy. Put the money on the table, and choose your prize!" The man chanted as Naruto looked at him.

"Can I play?" Naruto asked as he showed the note.

"Why sure sunny, look at you, you seem confused. I'll tell you something, I'll even offer you the same thing I offered the adults. It would be a Rinne gift to your pops, or mother if you're able to win it. A gold note, and a silver note. Think about that kid, that's one thousand two hundred copper notes right there. Can you do the math boyo!" The man buttered up the winnings.

"Okay...that would be one thousand, one hundred ninety nine more right?" The man nodded his head vigorously.

"Why yes, yes, very smart kid. I'll tell you what, play the game, and I'll add this to it." The man said as he got out a chocolate bar.

" _Is this asshole for real?"_ Naruto thought as he watched the man cackle even more.

"Okay boyo, not backing down I see. Well lad, I saw you watch the others play, so are you ready?" Naruto nodded as he took a seat on the snow.

His head was in full view of the cups, and he pushed chakra into his eyes. It wasn't to make his reflexes better, the point of the game he figured wasn't reflexes, it was to trace. If he could just keep the right cup in his viewpoint, then he'd win, he knew it!

The man smiled as he slowly begin moving the cups, he had placed the pebble in the far right corner. Slowly the cup moved to the left, before the man switched it's movement. Moving other cups along the way to distract the blonde.

When he noticed Naruto's eyes hadn't left the one cup he had put the pebble in, he began to fasten the pace of his shuffling. The blonde was in a glued state as he watched the cups. The man began to move them faster, and faster.

The man picked up some of the cups, tossing to the opposite sides. Naruto's eyes began to strain, he thought for a moment he had lost track. However, he was relieved when he saw how unnerved the man was.

The man finally began to try, and throw the cups. Making them go to the opposite circles, Naruto kept a close on the why he knew had the pebble. The man started to sweat in frustration as Naruto kept an eye on the right cup.

Finally after what seemed like a few minutes of this crazy shuffling, the man was breathing hard as Naruto stayed in motion. The man growled as he slammed the last cup down, and smirked in eventual victory.

Naruto looked at him, before grabbing the cup of his choice. The man allowed him to do so, believing he had one, even the man had lost track of the pebble. He laughed as he closed his eyes, and smiled in victory.

"I've won..." The words made the man turn white as snow.

"No..." The man said as he looked down at the table.

Sure enough, one cup was missing, there was the pebble. The man took a deep breath.

" _Bullshit..I'm not giving this much money to a kid...plan B."_ The man said as he chuckled nervously.

Naruto was about to reach for the money when the man kicked the table into the blonde, and grabbed the money. Naruto fell on his back, but rolled with the force. Rolling onto his feet, the blonde had kicked the table behind him in the roll.

He watched as the man began to run as fast as possible.

"You old bastard!" Naruto screamed as he ran after him.

"Sorry kiddo, just the business!" The man shouted back.

Naruto roared as he gave chase, chasing the man through the streets. The elderly man was surprisingly fast for his age, and easily weaved out of the way of the single blonde. Naruto growled as he impacted a snow mound, and pulled himself out of the white haze.

He watched as the man laughed while running, Naruto gritted his teeth, and gathered chakra. He crossed his tiger symbols, and looked dead square at the man. Suddenly three pops of smoke appeared behind Naruto.

"Sup B-" A clone didn't finish as Naruto yelled.

"He took my money, after his old ass!" Naruto ordered as he ran.

The clones wasted no time, and charged with the blonde. They dashed as fast possible at the man as well, and the man was so blissful in his apparent escape that he slowed down. That's when heard the screaming.

Horror struck him when he turned around.

"Give us the money old man, we won fair and square!" Naruto and his clones screamed.

"Cold day in hell freak!" The man screamed as he began to run faster.

Two of the Naruto clones jumped onto a roof, and the other began to bound towards the man. The blondes then surrounded the man. Who looked around, and sighed. He watched as the original Naruto walked towards him.

"Looks like it's a cold day in hell asshole..." Naruto grumbled at the man as he walked towards him.

"Look kiddo, I'm not going to say this twice, back off now." The man threatened as he pocketed the money.

"Like hell, I won that fair in and square. Now give me what I won!" Naruto argued as he continued to walk forward.

The old man reached into his pockets, Naruto expected the money, he didn't expect the two shuriken that came from the man's pockets instead. Naruto didn't have time dodge, all he could try to do was use his arms to block them, but he was far too late.

The next thing he felt was metal tearing into his coat, and hitting him dead in chest.


	4. Chapter four

Naruto turned with the impact, all on instinct, and watched the elderly man run away. His clones already giving chase. The blonde plucked the shuriken out of his coat, some blood was on them, not enough to cause for concern.

Though, inside of his clothing, he could feel the warm blood slowly trickle down his chest.

"Goddamn it..." Naruto muttered as he hissed in pain.

Finally he caught his breath, only to feel something come back to him, followed by three somethings. It felt like chakra, but he couldn't really tell at the moment, his senses too high in the moment of looking around.

The blonde didn't hear his clones, so he figured that they were gone, and swore he saw one getting hit with a kunai in his mind. That old man was extremely good with shuriken, and kunai in that case. Enough not just to have been civilian level, but not exactly ninja either.

Criminals sometimes did set up shop around the village.

Naruto took off his coat, and pulled down his shirt to see the wounds. His chest had three puncture wounds, slowly bleeding, but not too much. He shivered slightly from the cold, and hissed when the wounds began to fizz, slowly closing as he grunted in pain.

"Damn it, that was a lot of money..." Naruto murmured.

The blue eyed youth just stood there, clinching his teeth as the hissing of the wound stopped, and slowly he narrowed his eyes. He swore as he felt drained from the amount of chakra he was using both to keep warm, and from the clones he had created a few hours ago.

He looked at the shuriken on the ground, picking them up, and noticed that they were rusty. Naruto cursed openly, he knew rusty metal was very bad for someone, it could lead many things. Tetanus, blood poisoning, and among other things.

"Fucking old bastard, I'm gonna beat him to the next life when I see him." Naruto grumbled as he shoved the shuriken into his pocket.

He began walking the opposite direction, slowly coming to terms with the amount of money he could of had, and then stopped.

" _No...no, nope, no! Fuck that, no! No, no, no, no, hell no! I'm getting that money goddamn it, I'm gonna get it, and I'm gonna have a good Rinne! Every year, every year I see everyone happy, not this year! I'm getting that money!"_ Naruto screamed in his mind as he turned on his heel.

The blonde began to dash, following the man's footprints, he was beyond mad. Naruto noticed some of the Anbu weren't out as usual either, probably because of them getting ready for Rinne.

Strangely enough, every nation in this time of month was always at peace.

Naruto began to smell the air, smelling on instinct for some sort of clue, anything that could point him towards the old bastard. He found in the form of a glob of blood among one of the footprints, and followed it.

He noticed some of snow had been dragged instead of stepped on, and finally he came to an alleyway. Seeing some more blood, and looked came to a stop when he saw the old man slumped against the wall. He wasn't breathing, he looked already dead.

Naruto placed his fingers on the mans' carotid artery, he found no pulse, and couldn't help himself when he just smirked inexplicably. He didn't feel dirty, hell the man had just tried to kill him, mother nature just did him in.

However, he felt bad for the man, and looked at the mans' face. Which seemed to have been twisted in some sort of painful mannerism, blood slowly leaked from his mouth. Whatever killed this man was sudden, very fast, and ultimately very deadly.

Naruto felt something was behind him, turning around he saw an Anbu standing there. He looked at the blonde, chuckling slightly. He had on a orange mask which was a spiral shape, and just something about him didn't sit right with Naruto.

"Well, hello there, did you kill that man?" The Anbu in the orange mask inquired.

"No, I found him like this." Naruto answered honestly as he backed away from the man.

"Hmm, well, I believe this is yours." The Anbu said as he got out the money the old man had earlier.

"Wait, what, how did you get this? How did you know?" Naruto asked in shock.

He slowly made his way towards the man, he noticed several things about the mask he wore. It wasn't painted, but actually orange wood. The other thing it had only one eye hole, and he seemed to have dark aura about him.

Not menacing, just very dark.

The snow continued to fall around them, Naruto saw some of the snow pass through the man, he started to get nervous. The masked man looked at him smiling under his mask, before seemingly allow the snow fall upon him.

"You should know child, that it's too cold to be alone tonight without family. Tell me, before I hand you this money, where are your parents?" The masked man pulled the money just out of Narutos' grasp.

Naruto glared at him slightly, he knew this was too good to truly be so, and expected this Anbu to run away. However, having no real option in the matter, the blonde just spoke the truth.

"I don't know, I'm an orphan." Naruto replied while holding out his hand.

"Oh what I shame, no child should be without family, it's one of the many grievances we face in the world. Might I ask your name?" The man handed Naruto the money.

"I'm Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto. Your name?" Naruto asked while rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Oh my name, well you see I can't exactly give you my name. After all, I am Anbu, can't you tell?" The masked man spoke with a soft tune to his voice, waiving over his features.

"Y-yeah, anyway, I should be going. I'm going to need get outta here, and you should too, villagers will say you helped the _fox boy_ kill an old man. When in reality, we've nothing to do with it, right?" Naruto inquired as he shook from the cold wind.

"Well, you had nothing to do with it, me...well I may have made his heart pump a little too fast." Narutos' eyes widened, and he backed up.

"Okay, who are you really! No Anbu kills civilians ever, I'm not buying your shit anymore!" Naruto yelled as he took out the rusty shuriken.

"Calm down child, let's not be hasty." The man said as he walked towards Naruto.

The blonde slung the shuriken at the man, all of them careening towards him with a very accurate throw. Naruto however, with horror, watched as the man merely caught the shuriken. He didn't seem to care, nonchalantly looking at them, and pocketing them.

"W-who are you, enemy ninja?!" Naruto demanded an answer.

"No, I'm not an enemy ninja, don't you think the Anbu would be on me if I was?" The man said using his knowledge of Konoha's military to his advantage.

"I...I still don't buy it, why kill that man? In fact, where are the other Anbu, I haven't seen them. They're usually heavy around this area, but they're gone. What did you do?" Naruto challenged the mans' answer.

"Hmm, well the man is an easy question, he tried to kill you. I am obligated to defend you, as I am Anbu, isn't that what Anbu around here do...protect the people?" The man challenged as well.

"I guess...I guess you're right. I'm sorry, just, I'm on edge a little. You're creepy, really that's just it, and I'm sorry for saying that." Naruto apologized as he tried to argue, but couldn't find any reason to doubt the man.

"All is forgiven child, would like to leave this place with me?" The man asked while offering his hand.

"Y-yeah...I guess, I don't want to be here when the villagers come around. I mean, they'll just accuse me you know, and I didn't do anything, I was just tr-" The man put his finger over Narutos' lips, shushing him.

"Take my hand, we can talk more, don't worry I'll take you to a place you know very well." The man spoke as he offered his right hand out.

"Okay..." Naruto replied as he took his hand.

Suddenly the world began to warp around them, slowly Naruto felt like he was being dragged into something, and nearly felt like vomiting as the feeling became more intense. Naruto closed his eyes, almost yelling out, and finally the feeling stopped.

* * *

Naruto looked around, he found himself standing in Konoha's graveyard, and memorial site. He saw the masked man that brought him slowly come out of his own void, unaffected at all by it would seem. The blonde watch the man take a deep breath, and slowly he walked towards the blonde.

"Now, that we are truly alone here, let us talk." The man said as he took a seat, crossing his legs.

"Okay...but, why are you helping me. I mean, you could just tell the other Anbu that I am innocent." Naruto said as he too took the same kind of seat, crossing his own legs.

"Well, you see, as that might be. You have committed a crime Uzumaki Naruto, a illegal act, against the governing law of The Third Hokage. Illegal Gambling, a great vice to shinobi, as with drink and women." The masked man stated as he formed a swirling mass in his hand.

Slowly, out of the swirl, emerged a jar of liquid. It was brown in color, and the aroma of it flooded Narutos' nose, it smelled of roses. Slowly, in the other hand of the man, a second vortex formed. This time, two cups, and slowly he lowered them to the snow covered ground.

"Have you ever smelled such a thing, in The Northern Countries they call it Rose Tea. A tea with such a sweet aroma, such a delicate texture, and such good taste. I say a drink worthy of noble people, people who have big dreams, and people who struggle in this life." The man spoke with a immense amount of pride.

He watched as Naruto grabbed a cup, but didn't ask for a cup. The masked man smirked, he was a smart one for his age, and polite it would seem. The man looked at him, he saw the eyes of a true ninja inside Narutos', even if the kid didn't know it yet himself.

"I see, you do not ask for a cup, may I ask why?" The man inquired. "For almost all children that I have offered to, they take without a second thought, why don't you?"

"I'm not an idiot, I know how street smarts work. You _don't_ just _give_ something away, you expect a trade. Is it me shouting up about you killing that old bastard?" Naruto replied with a challenge.

"Hmm, such hostility, have I not made you trust me into taking you here? Am I not Konoha Anbu, have I not given you the money you earned? I do not deal in such backhanded displeasure, I merely wish a conversation, _Future Hokage_." Naruto eyes widened at the mans' answer.

"Okay...but, that tea, it must have cost you something. Here..." Naruto said handing the money to him. "I don't want it, I don't want anything for free, if that someone is trying to help me!"

"I see, a golden heart, or a jaded one? A golden heart gives to all, a jaded heart gives to a few that have earned it's love. Strange things are jaded, taking little effort to become what they were meant to culminate to. Like the tadpole of a frog who is eaten by dragonfly larva, only to grow, and swallow the dragonfly whole. It's not something strive too, it shall be, no changing is possible. The rule of nature, the rule of old ways, and new ways follow it." The masked man expressed as he waived the glass he filled around.

"Um...I...don't understand." Naruto mumbled.

"You see the glass yes?" The man said as he kept waiving it around. "Eventually, if I continue to move it, a drop will spill. I am making it move, but I'm not making it fall, it shall naturally do so. Like rain does, nothing can stay in flight forever, eventually they all fall."

The tea in the glass eventually reached an edge, a single drop of the tea dropped. Hitting a blade of grass, where it continued to trickle down into the ground. Naruto watched it all, and looked as the man slowly removed his mask.

Eventually, the man took it off, revealing a cloth covering everything, but his left eye. Which was a very dark color, like onyx, and a cut out part over the mouth. The man took a drink, slowly sipping in the tea. He enjoyed the taste it seemed, and when he finished he motioned to Naruto.

"Your cup please." The masked man ordered lightly.

Naruto nodded, handing the man his cup. Slowly the man poured the tea into it, stopping half way up the glass. He smiled as he handed it back to Naruto, and the blonde looked into the auburn liquid.

He slowly brought the cup to his lips, closing his eyes as he took a sip of the tea. Naruto eyes shot open as he felt a rush of energy, his chakra coils igniting as they began to rapidly refill. He felt so alert, so calm, his pupils dilated from the stimulation.

All around him, he wasn't alone with the man anymore, he saw many things. Bright glowing balls of blue energy, some of them having a human shape. He shook his head, and looked into the glass reflection of himself.

His body was normal, still wearing the torn coat. He however looked at his eyes, which were orange in color, with a slightly oval pupil, instead of circular one. He noticed the whisker marks on his face had deepened, becoming more prominent. The other thing in reflection he noted was the appearance of a single red tail at his back, slowly waiving about.

He snapped his head to look behind himself, seeing no tail once so ever, only a faint glow of sorts like the blue orbs. Naruto shook his head, turning back to the glass he noted the ears he had became more pointed, and a tuft of hair behind him that was thicker than his bangs.

"Wh-what's happening to me, why are my eyes orange now, why are the whiskers on my face deeper. What did you do to me?" Naruto asked as he looked at the man.

"I've done nothing, your chakra is being restored in a rapid rate. Your orange eyes, well, those are your own, I have no idea why they would be like that. Hmm, you seem like you are seeing things, are you seeing the _lights_ as well?" The masked man inquired.

"Y-yeah, what are they, why do they look somewhat human. I don't understand, this feels...wrong. Why do I look like..a..a fox!" Naruto muttered as he felt like he was going to freak out.

"I don't see any fox like things upon you, are you sure your not imagining things. Or, maybe, these eyes you have are revealing something to you?" The mask inquired while leaning forward a little bit.

Naruto snapped his eyes closed, and kept them shut as he closed off his chakra points to his eyes. He slowly opened them, no longer seeing the lights, the man frowned a little bit.

"I see, you canceled them out, such a shame. One with clairvoyance should not dampen that power, it proves valuable, it resolves itself to truth. Like scholars to their studies of the book, priests to the word of The Sage, and harlots in convincing men that they are the one for them, only to steal money. It binds them in truth, it reveals it, and the long forgotten." The masked man explained as he smiled.

"So what am I psychic, or something?" Naruto asked.

"Maybe, but I think you are something more than that. Uzumaki Naruto, I've been watching you sense the day you were born, from the infant that was weak, to the boy that naturally talented in chakra." Naruto scuffed at him.

"Yeah...right, up until now I was able to do the clone jutsu, even then I couldn't do that right without doing something different." Mans' single perked in interest.

"May I see them?" Naruto shrugged as he formed the hand seal he had been using to form the clones.

"Ah, cross tigers...hmm, wonder where you learned that from?" Naruto stopped dead in his tracks cutting the chakra flow, and looked at the man bewildered.

"Ho-how did you know, I just used this the other day, I mean I glanced at The Academy's picture book a couple of times, and never saw this one! So...how?" Naruto inquired.

"I am an Anbu child, do you think I wouldn't know different hand seals?" Naruto gulped a little bit at the answer.

"I guess you are right, okay. Clone Jutsu!" Naruto screamed as he formed clones.

All of them were solid, all of them moving, the man's single eye widened a little bit. He watched as the corperal clones all moved about, looking different directions. Naruto smiled as they came to him, and smiled.

"Hey boss, sup!" One of the clones said.

"Nothing much, just talking to this Anbu guy." Naruto pointed at the man. "He wanted me to show you all off."

"Oh cool, hey mister Anbu dude. I know your Anbu, but I am just introducing ourselves!" The clone said as he waived his hand to the four other clones.

"Sup, yo, hey, hello!" The clones say individually.

"That's amazing...Naruto release them please." The masked man ordered.

The blonde nodded, releasing the clones, which all puffed in smoke. He heard the man clapping as he took another shot of the tea, and smiled.

"You are naturally gifted child, you may not even recognize your own genius. However, I have to say this, that isn't the clone jutsu." Naruto almost slammed his face into the ground.

"What, come on, you're telling me I fucked up! This isn't the clone jutsu, oh come on, I was so close. I was going to graduate the academy, and everything man. What a rip off!" Naruto shouted as he raised his fist to the sky.

"Hmm, you seem that you don't understand. That may not be the Clone Jutsu, but it's something greater. Have you ever heard of The Shadow Clone Jutsu, a more advance clone jutsu?" The masked man inquired.

"Wh-what, no, no I haven't why?" Naruto replied.

"Well, that's what you are doing, the cross tigers. It's sort of like the tiger symbol, which allows the chakra to focus on a center point, it really is used as the start of some of the basic C-Rank Jutsu, and the basis of D-Rank ones. Crossed tigers on the other hand not only focus chakra, it divides it from the source. Like, say if you were the number twenty. You create five clones, each of those clones would have about one fifth of your total chakra. It's not forming them out of chakra, it's giving them chakra, it's more or less like Yin-Yang Release." The masked man explained.

"Yin-Yang Release?" Naruto questioned as he tilted his head.

The man fidgeted slightly.

"Have you not learned the elements yet?" The man inquired.

"Yeah, I have. Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning! Those are the five basic elements, and I'm certain Yin-Yang isn't one of them! So...is that like some super secret stuff in Anbu?" Naruto continued to question as he rubbed his chin.

"Yes, and no child. Yin-Yang Release is very common, clone jutsu is based inside of Yin energy. Creating a shape, manipulating it. Yang release is the essence of life energy, it's mainly used inside medical ninjutsu, and is a basis of breathing life. Combining both makes things you create alive, like something like a modifiable genjutsu, save you can touch and feel it. Making it Ninjutsu." Naruto blinked a little bit.

"I...guess I understand. So...I better get going, I'm a little sleepy." Naruto said as he got up.

"Well, I guess it is late. Also, here, have the money back." The masked man said as he picked up his mask, and handed the money.

"B-but the tea!" Naruto countered.

"Do not worry about it, however, I wish to see you again...alone. Also, do not tell of anyone that we had this talk, Anbu aren't supposed to train anyone. They're not Jonin, even if they are higher in rank, so please be silent." Naruto nodded, pointing his thumb on his heart.

"Yeah, I'll keep silent, sure! I swear on my life! I never go back on my word, but tomorrow...I have something planned. These guys that pick on me, I have something for them, can we meet another time. Like next week?" Naruto asked.

"I suppose, but remember Naruto, I'll be watching you. Keep to your word, and I'll reward you." The masked man said as he began to warp away.

"I swear I will, you're...a friend I think." Naruto stated as he smiled.

"Then don't betray your friend, Uzumaki Naruto."


	5. Chapter five

Naruto woke up in his bed, his head was hurting him a little bit. He got up, and slowly made his way across the cold wooden floor of the apartment, and looked at the time. It was one o'clock in the afternoon, far later than he had planned on sleeping.

He grabbed a wooden cup, a cup he had made himself with a carving knife, and proceeded to fill it up with ice cold water.

"Man, my head hurts...oh I think I'm getting a cold." Naruto mumbled as he sipped on the water.

The blonde sighed in the contents as he swallowed the water, and when he finished he just put the cup back on the counter. That's when noticed something laying on his counter, it was a sort of bottle, but it had a note with it.

He walked over to the bottle, grabbing the letter attached to it.

"You know me from last night child, I am giving you some of tea from the gourd I had, you may drink it _sparingly_ for The Rose Tea inspires the chakra coils in your body to grow, along with your systems fluidity in it. Do not drink it all in one setting, it can kill you by overloading your coils, that death is _very_ slow, and _very_ painful. Place it in your fridge when you awake, and until I come for you once more, do not falter in your studies." Naruto read aloud as he looked at the tea, and folded the letter.

He looked at the glass bottle, and smiled, the auburn liquid giving a distorted image of the blonde. Slowly he picked it up, and placed it inside of his fridge, smiling all the while. A lone tear left his right eye as he looked at it, he felt happy. It was an early Rinne present after all in his mind.

" _Man, I can't wait to meet him again. Dark aura, or not, just wow...someone actually thinks I'm smart! They think I'm going to be Hokage, how come this luck is hitting me now!"_ Naruto smiled brightly while giggling.

The blonde got dressed soon afterwards, putting on a coat, and orange sweatpants with a blue long sleeve shirt. He adjusted the collar on it, and looked at himself in his mirror inside of the bathroom. He wasn't one for looks, but he felt like he wanted to look different than usual.

Then a thought trailed into his mind, and slowly he began to let chakra flow into his eyes. He watched as the blue he was accustomed to slowly receded into a dark orange. The blonde looked at himself for a moment, noticing some things about himself now.

In his new eyes he saw himself almost the same in the mirror, just behind him however, a orange transparent tail slowly swooshed about. He doubted anyone else could see it, but himself, and looked at himself further.

His pupils were like elongated ovals, much wider than a normal oval, but not as perfect as a circle. Focusing, he found that he could control the tails movements, like they were naturally apart of him. Humming a little bit, he took off his shirt and jacket, turning his back to the mirror.

The scar on his tailbone was there, as always, where he had fallen really hard as a child. The Hokage told him he needed to have surgery, life saving surgery, that day and talked to Naruto. That was a few blue moons ago, and those three years went by like air through a cave.

Naruto wasn't mad at the old man for not talking to him, he understood that he was busy all the time, and never wanted to bother him. However, anytime he saw him, he would always call _Old Man_ just as anyone would say Lord Hokage. It was his way of showing that he knew the person, and liked them.

When he got formal, he got very hostile.

Studying the way his tail moved he finally made it curl up after some thought, and made it wrap around his stomach, though it held no real purpose because it was transparent. He wanted to touch it, and slowly brought his hand to it, feel just thin air as he went into the tail.

" _Hmm, weird, I wonder if I can make it physical one day. That be...I don't know, super cool!"_ Naruto thought as he smiled, and slowly cut the chakra from his eyes.

His blue eyes came back, and with the normal looking pupils from before.

He felt of his of his face, feeling the whisker marks, and sighed slowly as he just kept rubbing them. Something about them, he felt a tinge amount of warmth from always rubbing them, and he never questioned it.

The blonde put his shirt back on, and made his ways out of the bathroom towards the kitchen once more, and saw all of his art stuff still on the table where he left it. Along with the Oni mask, and paint.

Stretching he went towards the door, and walked out, only to run back in for his coat that he had forgotten.

* * *

Konoha was a bustle, it was now three weeks before Rinne, and everyone was out. Some clans were enjoying get together, either from The Hokages' own mandates, or just on friendly basis. The Yamanaka, Nara, and Akamichi clan always celebrated together.

Naruto wasn't an avid reader, hell, he hardly had a book in his hand. However, when something interested him, short of the occasional _adult_ book he never really understood, but liked. He was bored one day, and decided to read into a few books inside their library.

Albeit, that damn woman in the library wouldn't just keep to herself, often looking at him with malice.

He had learned that long ago, in some bygone age of war, before all world wars, there was the clan wars. You mainly had many of the clans being funded by Daimyo, and they in turn killed each other, however some clans started making peace with each other.

The Nara Clan married into The Yamanaka Clan, and The Akamichi were already allies to The Nara, so this in turned made them allies to The Yamanaka. It was a rocky relationship at first from what he read, sometimes even violent.

However, with the founding of Konoha, the three clans came to truce besides the marriages to keep peace, and are actually the one of founding clans. Others being the late Uchiha, The Noble Blooded Hyuuga Clan, The Kurama Clan, The Inuzuka Clan, Senju Clan which is now been cursed with an all female birth which makes their clan name change variously now, and then you have The Aburame.

Oh, yes the Aburame, Narutos' most _loved_ clan. He didn't have anything against, hell maybe some were good people, they'd always keep to themselves. However, it really all went down hill one day, and it really wasn't Shinos' fault.

Naruto got curious about the bug boy, well, curiosity gave way to want, and Naruto wanted to see what Shino meant about being _a living hive of insects_. Needless to say, anytime Naruto ever saw a mosquito he'd kill it without mercy, in no form of hell would he ever _E.V.E.R_ have that happen to him.

He'd sooner put a kunai in his head.

So, the blonde wasn't really thinking of much. Save Genmaru, Ken, and dear old Kin. That idiot was going to bring all of his friends to the graveyards tonight, However, the blonde got to thinking, and it wasn't about letting bygones be bygones.

" _Hmm, how can I use my shadow clones? I mean do they copy whatever I'm wearing, I haven't tested that out haven't I? Wait, what if I could...no, that wouldn't work. I just think I gott-"_ Naruto was cut off from his thoughts when he accidentally bumped into someone.

He fell back hard, landing in the snow, groaning, he watched a familiar mop of black hair arose from snow himself. It was Uchiha Sasuke, the sole remaining Uchiha, and the top male Academy Student.

The black haired youth looked at Naruto, dull onyx eyes peered into Narutos' form, as if sizing him up.

"Hmm, watch where you're going, loser." Sasuke mumbled as he got up.

"Oh yeah, sure, I guess I'm the only one with eyes eh?" Naruto grumbled as he got up as well.

"Well, you're blind then, idiot." Sasuke replied as he watched Naruto dust snow off himself.

"Yeah, that makes two...huh?" Naruto smirked.

"Whatever, out of my way." Sasuke said as he brushed past Naruto.

The blondes' right eye twitched a little bit, and reached down grabbing a ball of snow. He hurled the snow at Sasuke, who easily sidestepped it, and caught it mid air. The blonde watched, with a great amount of grace, Sasuke returning the snow to him.

Right in his face.

Naruto fell back into the snow, and heard the Uchiha give an audible smirk, and slowly climbed back up. Naruto looked as the Uchiha still had that smug smile on his face, before going to make his own snowball.

Naruto confused, did the same thing, and backed off.

Sasuke hurled the snowball at Naruto, the blonde barely dodging out of the way in time, and then sent his own at Sasuke. The Uchiha like before, graceful as ever, dodged around it. The snowballs impacting some civilians standing around.

"Whoa, whoa. cease fire!" Naruto called as he saw one of the civilians fall to the ground.

Sasuke just looked at him, bending over, and grabbed another snowball.

"All things fair in war, idiot." Sasuke said as he hurled the snowball.

Naruto jumped high into the air, and landed onto a nearby roof. He glared at Sasuke, then smirked, and crossed the tigers symbols. Three puffs of smoke later, three more Narutos' stood on the building. Sasuke looked up at them, and just shook his head.

"Clone Jutsu, really Naruto, after all this time. After every single sparing match we have, that's your new thing? That's it, what happen to being rivals...loser." Sasuke insulted slyly as he got another snowball with his loose hand.

"Oi, we're not losers, we're great as a team! Everyone, gather them snowballs, just like with the hag!" Naruto, and his clones shouted.

Sasuke looked at him, he never knew Clones could talk, let alone pick up snow. That's when it clicked into his head, that this may not be normal clones, and he slowly backed up. The blonde raised his hand up to signal, and he smirked at Sasuke.

"Duck hunt!" Naruto screamed as the clones threw the balls of snow at Sasuke.

Sasuke jumped, weaved, and dodged all of them. Throwing one at the clones, only to watch as the clones themselves dodged the ball.

Sasuke however, got lucky, and hit two of the clone with snowballs. Making them pop into smoke, Naruto watched as he ran, and jumped towards them. His two other Naruto clones threw their snowballs, only for Sasuke to grab them in midair, and return them.

Naruto watched as his two clones popped, leaving him alone on the roof. Facing Sasuke, and he smirked.

"So, dope, finally learned something new. I have to admit...it's interesting. However, is that really it, creating a Clone of yourself?" Sasuke inquired as he walked towards Naruto.

The brunette was then promptly hit in the side of the head by a snowball, and he snapped his head around to see who did it. There, on the roof stood Kin, Ken, and Genmaru. They each held snowballs in their hands.

"Oh look here, _The Fox Boy_ , and _The Elite_ playing together. Come on now, Sasuke, why mess with a loser like him?" Naruto glared at Genmaru, who was currently chuckling.

"Yeah, seriously, mister _I don't play with anyone, because they're boring, unnnn,_ why hand with this loser?" Ken asked as he crossed his arms, though he looked a little nervous.

"Hey Sasuke, beat him up man, come on do it!" Kin screamed.

"The only losers I see here is you three, Naruto...meh, maybe idiot." Naruto eyes' just twitched a little bit.

"Well, fuck you then bastard! Anyway guys, look, we got us here a Duck and Fox. I say I take on Naruko over there." Genmaru pointed behind Sasuke to Naruto. "You two take on that duck ass!"

The other two nodded, clenching their fists, making them pop.

Naruto looked at Sasuke, who in turned look at Naruto. Onyx, and ocean blue eyes met, and then a smirk came to both of their lips. A silent understanding, if anything, and slowly Naruto made his way towards Sasukes' side.

" _I don't know why...this just feels...right, standing by this assholes' side."_

" _I hope this blonde idiot can fight, I doubt I can have trouble taking them all on, but I want to see...if his declaration of rivalry holds water from last year."_

* * *

Naruto was the first to charge at Genmaru, the boy slid on the snow as he watched Genmaru form two clones. The blonde watched as the elder brown haired youth charged at him, and cocked his fist back.

Naruto easily dodged the first clone, jumping off the building while doing so. The other Genmaru launched a flying kick at him, which the blonde moved to counter, only to have that one phase through him.

" _Clone!"_ Naruto screamed mentally, landing on the ground.

The blonde felt his senses blaring warnings, and he rolled forward, avoiding a stomp from Genmaru. He sidestepped when Genmaru tried to kick him, and grabbed him by his leg.

"Kyyaaa!" Naruto screamed as he slung Genmaru.

The brown haired bully was sent across the ground, Naruto gathering enough time to get into a stance. His hands positioned in front of him as if he was boxer, and he jumped on his feet, almost ready to jump out of the way.

Genmaru roared, forming three clones, and hid himself among them as he charged. Naruto easily dodged the first clone, while he allowed one to attack. It phased out as it did, indicating it was a fake, Naruto eyes scanned the other three clones. Naruto swore he saw blurs between them, and watched as all three charged.

Naruto jumped into the avoiding all of them, and watched as they all stopped just right under him. The blonde angled himself inside the air to look down, and formed two clones besides him. The youth grabbed the clones, sending hurdling towards Genmarus'

The clones, and Genmaru himself jumped away.

A small civilian crowd had gathered to watch, some wondering why other Jonin or ninja weren't stopping it. In all obviousness, they weren't blind to this fighting, they were more or less placing bets. After all, this was just civil fight, and they were rightfully challenged.

Naruto watched as Genmaru turned on his heel, and charged. The blonde easily identified the clones, kept tracking the real Genmaru. He focused hard, extremely hard, and then he snapped forward.

The blonde caught Genmaru by surprise, sending a kick right into his side, causing him to skid onto the ground. The blonde jumped into the air, and turned, before delivering an ax kick into the same side he had kicked.

Naruto laid there, his leg on Genmarus' ribs. The boy groaned in pain as he looked at Naruto, before watching him roll off.

" _Did I just...win?"_ Naruto thought as he watched Genmaru get up.

"Fox boy!" Genmaru shouted. "You're just a loser! I'm better than you, always have been, always will be!"

"Please shut up, less talking more, fighting!" Naruto said as he slammed both fists together, he truly now felt alive.

Him, and Genmaru charged at each other once more.

* * *

Sasuke was fighting in his Uchiha encrusted navy blue long sleeve shirt, and he was easily holding his own against the two boys.

Kin was using his clones to charge down Sasuke, who was easily dodging them all, and kicked Ken in the face when he tried to sneak up behind him. The Uchiha then jumped down from the roof, and landed on the street near the civilians.

The civilians turned their attention from Naruto to his fight with the two other boys.

The other two boys landed in the circle the crowd made, and began to form three clones each. Sasuke popped his neck, before easily making them phase out with a series of rapid side kicks. The Uchiha sighed as he felt Ken charge from behind.

Quickly reacting, he turned, and grabbed him by his chest's clothing. The Uchiha grunted slightly as he raised him up, and slammed him onto the snow covered street. He held his foot on top of Kens' chest, and watched Kin charged.

The Uchiha blocked the clones as if they were real fighters, and when the real one foolishly followed them in their attack he countered by slamming his palm into his face. Kin backed up screaming, his nose had been broken easily by the palm strike.

"Kin!" Ken screamed out, only for the Uchiha to jump from his chest.

The one boy tried to run, only for Sasuke to appear in front of him, and side kick him onto Ken. The raven haired teen smirked a little bit, and watched as the two boys groaned out. Some of the civilian crowd began to praise the fighting as a spar, when it was really a fight.

Sasuke however noticed some them start to look towards Narutos' direction, and they weren't praising anything.

* * *

"You think it was funny treating me like dog shit for three years, huh?!" Naruto screamed as he socked Genmaru across the face.

The boy fell to the ground, and his nose began to bleed. He looked at Naruto, getting back up, and spat in his face. The blonde in turn grabbed Genmaru, and headbutted him. Naruto stepped back a little bit too, and found himself bumped into a civilian.

Instead of moving backwards, the civilian pushed him hard. He only then notice Genmaru standing up, and received a large kick to his face for the good measure of his carelessness. Naruto felt his nose break, which wasn't that hard, seeing he felt a pop.

"See, see! You are shit, look at you, you trip one time and it's over! Man, I tell you what, you're just as weak as ever!" Genmaru mocked as he kicked snow into Narutos' face.

Some of the civilians began to snicker a little bit, one even threw a snowball at Naruto.

"Come on, get up, continue the fight!" A man said as he grabbed another snowball, hitting Naruto right in face.

When Naruto went to wipe off the snow, he felt himself double over from a punch to his gut. Somehow, Genmaru had managed to weaken his chakra when he had gotten from the ground, and Naruto found himself unable to use his _Shadow Clones_. At the moment.

That's when he looked at his leg, and saw it. A chakra tag, it was a seal meant to weaken someones' chakra flow, and Naruto went to rip it off. Only to get his hand stomped into the ground Genmaru, and followed by the stepping on his back.

"Looks like I'm the winner as usual, loser!" Genmaru said in victory.

Naruto just growled out, and then felt something snap inside of himself. He got up, pushing Genmaru off, and proceeded to rip the tag off. Narutos' eyes widen, almost feral, and he launched a punch at Genmaru.

The boy was caught unprepared, and felt the fist strike him in the face. The punch was powerful enough to send to him to the ground, making him groan in pain. Naruto spat on him, like so many times Genmaru did to him, and looked.

That's when Naruto felt a snowball hit him in the face, followed by another.

"You're such a sore loser!"

"Yeah, he won that fight fair and square. Stupid brat!"

"Cheater!"

Naruto blocked some of the snowballs, and felt the crowd closing in on him. He watched as they began to shout at him, and slowly he backed off more. That's when he reached down as well, and grabbed a snowball himself.

He threw it at one of the crowd, only to find a bottle hurled at him in return. The glass smashed across his face, leaving a small cut across his forehead, and the blonde looked into the crowd with disdain.

That's when Anbu finally stepped in, and landed in front of Naruto, facing the crowd.

"Cease, and desist at once. Any further advancement will be subject to accordance of hostile actions. Do not be foolish, do not waste your life." An Anbu wearing a Cat Mask said as she gripped her sword.

Naruto just looked at the crowd, before walking away, and into the alley The Anbu had guarded for his _escape_. Naruto jumped up to the building, and sighed, it looked like the prank wasn't going to happen tonight.

His mood was dampened once more.


	6. Chapter six

Naruto was watching as Konoha burned to the ground, red hot flames stoked the night sky as he stood upon The Hokage Monument. He looked shocked, almost as if this was surreal, but he swore he could feel the flames.

Jumping from the monument, he added chakra into his legs enough to where he could land safely. He walked around, noticing hundreds...thousands of dead people. All of them burnt, maimed, and even stabbed by what appeared to be kunai.

The blonde walked further into the village, hearing distant screaming, followed by the sounds of a large explosion. There, in the clouds above it, he saw someone floating in the air. That someone had long black hair, and had a skeleton surrounding him.

Naruto wanted to run away, but when the figure turned to his direction he couldn't. That's when the man appeared in front of him, and he took in his looks. It was a man, around his mid thirties, having long spiky hair. He had onyx eyes like an Uchiha, though he just looked into Naruto.

The blonde boy was horror struck, and tired to back away. Only to have a gust of wind slam into his chest, and looked behind him to see The Third Hokage, The Old Man.

"Madara Uchiha!" The Hokage shouted.

The man didn't answer, but just stared at The Hokage, and then smirked as he turned to Naruto. Madara Uchiha held out his right hand, before a long chain appeared, and connected to Naruto. The blondes' eyes widened, turning a pale orange as he slumped slightly.

"No!" The Hokage shouted as he ran towards Naruto, who only looked on.

And, then, to his own horror. Nine red tails sprouted from himself, all of them impaling the Old Man, and dealing mortal wounds. Naruto could feel himself starting to change, he could feel himself starting to become blood thirsty.

He wanted death, flames and all. He needed destruction, he needed release, form what he didn't know.

With a might roar, Naruto bursts into a large red column of chakra, which slowly begins to form into a giant nine tailed fox. The beast stared over the village, finally finding his target, and even though somewhere in its' subconscious something yelled for it to stop, and didn't save the orphanage that it held in its' sight.

Flames erupted from its' mouth, burning everything down in its' path.

* * *

Naruto slammed upwards, his eyes darted back in forth in his dark room. Looking around he saw nothing, but he felt something was off. Quickly he walked towards his kitchen, and found his door was open. That's when he felt something throb in his head, and looked to see something tracking snow into his home.

Naruto activated his eyes, only to see a human like figure walking towards him, his hand outstretch, Naruto screamed as it's hand tore into him.

* * *

Naruto woke up in class, and nearly fell out of his chair. He had a double layered dream, both so surreal, they felt like they were genuinely reality. The blonde was breathing hard a little bit, but noticed that the class had dismissed already.

Iruka was standing at his desk, writing some reports, and grading tests. He looked up, and saw Naruto was now awake.

"Finally decided to rejoin the land of the living Naruto, you slept through the class...again." Iruka commented as he stacked the papers, rather annoyed.

"Sorry sensei, just long nights is all. I've been working at Ichiraku at night now, a little bit here and there." Naruto replied as he stretched while getting up.

"Hmm, well, make sure to get plenty of sleep. Also, Naruto, you barely passed the test I gave out yesterday." Iruka watched as Naruto blinked for a moment, and he sighed.

"Yeah, cool! I passed, bout time. Um...which one was it?" Naruto said sheepishly while rubbing his head with his right hand.

"Chakra manipulation one-o-one, you passed barely. You got seven out of the twelve hand seals correct. Seems that you took the time to study for once." Iruka lightly praised while holding out some disappointment for his barely passing grade.

"Well, can't be perfect. I pass, no matter how much, I still passed!" Naruto said while fist pumping.

"True, anyway, the final class of the day is a sparing class. You're actually doing good in it, make sure your there in thirty minutes. Also, please, do _not_ pick Genmaru, Ken, or Kin. Poor guys had a rough time Sunday. Kin saying he saw a _demon_ of sorts in a graveyard. Don't know why Genmaru, and Ken are avoiding him now." Iruka instructed. "Also...do _not_ be late. You're first up on the list."

Naruto nodded as he went back to his desk, and laid his head down. Iruka sighed, leaving his chair to deliver some of the reports.

The blonde child smirked under his desk, getting up, and went over to Irukas' desk. Opening drawer he got out a blue ink pen, and smirked. Looking towards the cup of coffee on his desk, Naruto snapped the ink pen, and let the contents pour into cup.

Using the empty side of the stick, he swirled the mixture around, and whistled as he walked towards the window. Opening it, and setting the ink pen just right into snow, burying it. Naruto walked towards the door, and looked out.

He noticed Genmaru, and Ken.

"Hey assholes!" Naruto exclaimed as he flicked them off.

Genmaru, and Ken turned. Genmaru had a few bandages across his face, and Ken wasn't looking so great either. The two older boys roared out, and charged at Naruto. Who slammed the classroom door in their face, not hitting them, and exited out of the window.

Genmaru, and Ken shoved the door open.

"Where are you _Fox Boy_?!" Genmaru yelled.

Iruka came running back towards the classroom, and stopped right outside the door.

"Hey, what do you two think you are doing? I will not have you starting fights in my class, ya hear me?!" Iruka yelled. "Now, run along!"

Genmaru, and Ken glared at their teacher before walking off. Iruka just pinched the bridge of his nose, and walked towards his desk. He noticed one of the drawers was slightly open, but he shrugged.

" _Must've forgot to close it. Hmm, oh well, back to my nice cup of coffee...and my book for the next thirty minutes."_ Iruka mused as he sat down, pulling an odd looking book from a secret compartment in his desk.

He giggled a little bit, and began to read it as he took a sip of his _perfect_ coffee.

" _Oh...please let me find a woman do this stuff with, I wonder...nah, Anko would murder me. Maybe...yeah, no? I'll...nope, nu-huh, NOPE."_ Iruka thought about it, and just sighed.

"I need a girlfriend."

* * *

Naruto wasn't late, he was very much on time. Sitting on top of the tree that overlooked the sparring square, he sighed out as he watched other children laughing as Iruka came by. He stifled a snicker himself, Iruka had a perfect blue ink goatee.

He didn't even know it, and it didn't help that some of the other staff was looking at him as well. Stifling their own laughter.

Iruka looked around confused for a few moments, and then huffed a little bit. Ever since being promoted to Head Instructor, which was just below The Headmistress' position, he had been getting some jealous stares from the other instructors.

"So if there is a joke floating around, please by all means tell me, I'm a funny guy too." Iruka said as he crossed his arms. "I'm waiting."

A pink haired student, Sakura, walked up to him.

"Um, sensei...I think you should take a look at yourself in the mirror." Sakura said as she dug into her pocket, pulling out a small mirror used for her eyelashes.

Iruka shrugged, taking the mirror. He opened it, and looked at himself, and his eyes widen a little bit. The man looked at the others who were now openly laughing, and some of the more modest children. Sasuke, Hinata, and Shino. We're trying to stifle laughs.

Shikamaru was even full blown laughing, and he never laughed at anything so hard.

"Okay?! Who did it, Naruto?!" Iruka yelled pointing at Naruto. "You're in big trouble mister!"

"What, oh come on! I didn't do anything, seriously, I was out here _hanging out,_ ya know!" Naruto lied, but vehemently argued.

"Okay then who was last in my class then, after all yo-wait." Iruka turned to Ken, and Genmaru. "You two are in some serious trouble after today, detention! No, thee days detention, extra laps...the whole nine yards!"

"Oh, what?! We didn't even do anything, come on!" Genmaru argued. "This isn't fair, I bet it was _The Fox Boy_."

"Yeah, he tried to start a fight with us!" Ken added in. "He ran out the back window!"

"Oh, hold up." A white haired Chunin by name of Mizuki said. "I saw Naruto sitting on the branch earlier, I didn't see him pop out the window. Iruka, you know I'm usually out here early, right?"

Iruka nodded, and then turned his gaze back onto the boys.

"I agree with Mizuki, if he says Naruto was out here...granted it is unusual he was early. Then I'll take it, now you two, since like jokes...joke with each on the square!" Iruka yelled as he pointed towards the sparring square.

Ken, and Genmaru sighed as they walked towards it. They never did see Narutos' crooked smile towards them, indeed...it was going to be a blast this year.

After all, just three days ago, he managed to break their friendship.

* * *

A few minutes after the fight between Genmaru, and Ken. Naruto watched as Ken, and Genmaru were being pulled away from each other. The smirk never left his face, it was his perfect revenge, and it wasn't anything personal.

Yes it was, he got tired of their daily bullshit, and decided to play his own hand. You _do not_ play with fire, and leave unharmed. Eventually it will _burn_ you.

Naruto was now being called up to the square, and he entered with his hands behind his head. The blonde watched as Kiba, a classmate of his walked up into the square. He had a white dog with him, and Naruto watched as he sat him down.

"Yo Kiba, wanna have good fight?" Naruto asked as he raised his fist up, trying to be friendly.

"Nah, I'm just here to kick your ass." Kiba proudly stated as he crouched down.

Some of the children were egging on the fight now, some of them joking about Kiba, some about Naruto. The only few to remain silent were Shikamaru, Hinata, Shino, and Sasuke. Iruka came into the middle, and raised his hand up.

"No Jutsu allowed, no intent to kill. You have these guidelines, if one of you feels too injured make the sign to give up, do not go with the intent to break anyone's bones. The match will end at ten minutes if it still continuing. Uzumaki Naruto, Kiba Inuzuka, are you ready?" Iruka inquired.

Naruto, and Kiba nodded. Both of their eyes trained on each other, Naruto narrowed his.

"Begin!" Iruka said as he jumped out of the square.

Kiba charged, but Naruto immediately backed up. Kiba chuckled a little bit, but Naruto just kept looking at him. He kept looking Kiba in the eye, when the boy charged again, Naruto continue to back up. The blonde was seemingly on a retreat no sooner than Kiba started.

Naruto readied himself, and when Kiba charged again, that was his moment. The blonde jumped over Kiba, and landed behind him. Naruto turned on his heel, throwing his first punch in the fight, and connected easily with Kibas' back.

Kiba in turned on his own heel, and started slashing at Naruto with his elongated nails. The blonde managed to dodge around them, backing each time, and sometimes blocking the strikes with his forearms when the need arose.

When Naruto saw Kiba about to kick, he moved his right foreleg, the opposite of the leg Kiba was using. When Kiba got blocked, Naruto continued in his motion, turning fully around. The cause of this was Naruto sending the back of his fist into Kibas' face.

The shaggy brown haired youth responded when he spun from his impact with a kick to Narutos' abdomen. The blonde recoiled a little bit, and back flipped away from Kiba. He brought both his fists up, and stood with his dominant right foot in front of his left.

Kiba ran towards Naruto, and launched a haymaker at him, Naruto easily counter by punching Kiba once in the gut, and then once in the face. The blondes' eyes felt like they were burning for some reason, but he couldn't tell why.

He didn't have chakra flowing in them, but he just felt so focused.

Slowly Naruto breathed in, and charged himself while Kiba backed up. He launched a flurry of punches, some of them in the style of windmill. Naruto blocked another kick from Kiba with his opposite foreleg, but found himself getting punched in the face when he tried to follow through.

Naruto stumbled back, blood seeping from his nose. He got back in his original stance, and then socked Kiba on his right cheek when he tried to punch him. Naruto followed it up by back flipping, but in the course of it, he sent his foot right under Kibas' chin.

The boy was lifted from the ground from the impact, but in turn, he recovered while airborne. This led to him smashing his knee across Narutos' face. The blonde recoiled back, stumbling backwards as he did, and nearly tripped.

" _If I get hit like that again...it's over...but, I wanna win for once, I need something...anything. Wait! Iruka sensei when we first started the sparring session never banned chakra usage...just Jutsu. I wonder...but, it'll make it noticeable...worth a shot!"_ Naruto closed his eyes. _"I wanna win!"_

Kiba laughed loudly as he went to drive his new into Narutos' face once more, but the blondes' body didn't move. Instead he opened his eyes, revealing orange irises blazing like a warm fire. The brown haired boy still followed through.

"Looks like I win loser!" Kiba shouted. "Yeaaahhhoo!"

Sasuke was the only one to notice the change of color, the fight was moving fast enough to where other children couldn't keep up. Good thing he trained better than the minimum, and worked his eyesight.

" _Is that a Kekkei Genkai?!"_ Sasuke thought in his head.

Naruto caught Kibas' knee midair, his moved much faster than before. The blonde could see it all also, Kibas' chakra powering his attacks. It was like the ghostly blue spirits he saw in graveyard with The Masked Man. Naruto roared out as he pushed Kiba off by his knee, and then jumped into air to meet at equal level.

Naruto spun once, twice, and then when Kiba saw it. He knew it was over, way past over, it was too late for him to react. Naruto slammed an ax kick into his arm, the blonde swore he felt a pop in Kibas' arm as the kick impacted.

It was only added on when Kiba roared out in agony when he hit the ground. He clutched his right arm, which was hanging limply, unable to move. Naruto himself didn't land with grace, and he fell to the ground, whatever this power he had...clairvoyance, it took a lot to maintain.

Iruka threw his hand in the air.

"Match over! Stand down, Mizuki get the medics!" Iruka barked as he went over to check Kiba.

"My arm...I think he broke it, Gods it hurts!" Kiba roared as he tried to move it. "I'll get you back for that!"

Naruto slowly got up, he had his eyes closed, but when he opened them they were back to their normal blue. The blonde was breathing hard, some blood ran from his lips. He watched as Kiba got carted off, and Iruka come over towards him.

"Okay time to get up..." Iruka said as he helped Naruto up. "The winner is Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto should had smiled, should have celebrated, he finally beaten someone in a sparring match. However, something just did sit right with him. Did he accidentally aim for his arm, given that they were in mid air, and just made a mistake.

Then again...somewhere in his mind he knew what was his target, and he aimed dead on for it.

* * *

Naruto dragged himself in from work at Ichiraku, it was one o'clock in the morning, and Ichiraku had a few late night runs. The blonde wiped his eyes off with hands, taking chunks of dried sweat with it. He looked around, noticing nothing different about his apartment.

He made his way towards the bedroom part, only to freeze in place. The Anbu guy from a three days ago was sitting on his bed, and looked at him inside of his orange mask. The masked man looked at Naruto, and nodded.

"You are doing well keeping our secret, I thought I'd drop in..." The masked man said with a cold voice. "How is...life?"

"Nothing much, same old as usual." Naruto commented as he took off his jacket.

"I think it's time for your first reward for this loyalty, a gift mind you. When I leave here tonight, I'll not be returning for a month, in that month I want you to study this gift. If anyone asks where you got it, you just say that you bought it...still have that money?" The masked man asked as he looked at the blonde.

"Every bit of it, I don't spend much, save groceries. Why, do you need it?" Naruto inquired.

"No...I'm just going to say one thing, don't always be frugal. Life of a ninja is that of a short flicker of flame, very rarely does a ninja live into old age. Enjoy it, now as for my gift." The masked man said as he held out his left palm.

Naruto watched as the space around it began to warp around, slowly a scabbard along with a sword emerged. The scabbard to it was brown, with a small metal shell over it, and the sword it contained must have been around two feet in length. It also had a slight curve to it, in the mans' right hand a book materialized.

The blondes' mouth almost dropped at the gifts, and went to the money over, only for the man to hold up his hand.

"I don't take payment in money child, I take it in the stock of action. Either way, with this, you'll have your groundwork for being Hokage. Then again...maybe the future holds many things that we cannot foresee." The masked man stated as he laid the sword down, along with the book.

"That's a katana, right, that looks so cool. Can I see the blade?" Naruto questioned. "Please!"

The masked man shrugged, picking up the sword, he unsheathed it. The blade wasn't very pretty, it was dull in some places, even had chinks in the metal. Naruto still smiled nonetheless, it was gift, and a very good one at that.

The masked man clicked it back into the scabbard, and handed it to Naruto. The blonde grabbed it, finding it light, and he could almost feel a connection with it.

"I see that you like it, I call it Nibuiha. Which means dull blade in name, just like your named after a fish topping in right?" The masked man joked.

"No, I always told I was named after maelstrom in Eastern Ocean, at least Old Man said that's what my parents named me for...but, he said that they really know each other well. So, I took it in earnest, and walked with it." Naruto replied honestly as he stared at the sword. "Why are you doing this?"

"I just want to see you strong my boy, you remind me of myself in your age. Always earnest, learning, lonely, and willing to fight back. Why not?" The masked man said as he got up.

"Well...for what it's worth, I give you my word that my promise to you will be kept, no matter what. If, I can ask one thing..." The masked man turned towards Naruto. "Can...can I train under you?"

"Well...in due time boy, show me what a month does for you. Then we'll talk."


	7. Chapter seven

Naruto was currently watching as the some birds struggled in the cold air, he had taken the time to look around the area he had been in. Technically, looking being the operative word for _sneaking_ in the area, since he wasn't supposed to be here _until_ graduation.

The training grounds, a very large, open area in the North East Of Konoha. Right outside the gates, which was loosely guarded, which may seem idiotic in strategy, but...when you have a multiple fields of training areas, and ninja that could _literally_ spring up from the ground. Did it seem so stupid?

The blonde was currently looking towards the training grounds, having paid especial attention to a map of Konoha he procured a week ago from a careless Anbu who had his face buried in a book. He giggled a lot too, and Naruto took it as a sign he had been _lost_ in thought.

Naruto also knew that _most_ not _all_ training grounds laid within this region of Konoha. He looked at the map, and began to run over his options, he had some gear with him as well. All of it, fortunately not splurging his money on useless stuff, he bought.

" _Okay according to this map, training ground one, three, six, nine, ten, twelve-through-twenty, and thirty seven are here. Now by looking at the map, I can see one is an open field, don't wanna go there. Six, nine, and ten are forested, but closer to the village...I may take them just in case something comes up and I gotta bolt fast. Besides, it would provide some wood since it'll get cold at night. Luckily, if I recall, not many ninja stay out this way in the cold."_ Naruto summarized in his thoughts as he scratched his chin, and sighed.

" _With Rinne taking effect The Academy made a three week self study, like last year, and this means that I'll be able to stay out here for good while. Can't believe it however, I got someone willing to see that I do get strong! I'll get this month in, and I'll be able to kick ass, ya know!"_ Naruto giggled in excitement as he continued to walk.

* * *

He finally came to his destination, The Sixth Training Grounds. A ground that was little in the middle of The Ninths' thick forests, and The Tenths' poor tree cover. It also had a nearby stream, luckily the air outside was warm enough to where the body of water didn't freeze solid.

The boy looked at it, smiling, before throwing off his pack. He stretched for a moment, and felt his back pop a few times when bent to the sides, and even forwards. He let a pleasured sigh escape his lips as he noticed the fresh air.

"Man this place is awesome, man, there's even fish in the river too!" Naruto stated noticing some of the fish swimming under the water, which was partially covered in ice.

The boy then got a serious face, and looked around, noting the clearing he had came into. It was great, but wasn't going to set up a normal camp. He walked over towards his pack, getting out a trowel, and a small hand rake.

He dripped them to the side, crouching down, he began to untie his sword which had strapped to the inner back of the pack. He got the rope loose, and held the sword in his hand. He smiled at it, before tying it to his left hip via a small incision he made to the black cargo pants he had bought.

Jumping up, and down, the boy felt the sword was secure. Laughing a little bit when he almost slipped on his last landing, he looked at the local trees. He was looking at them, before noticing a rather large, and depressing dull oak that looked to be dying.

Walking over to it, the blonde noted the roots had been exposed. Which was perfect, since that meant all he had to do was dig under the tree. So quickly he jogged over to the rake, and trowel, and began to move the snow away from the trees' front facing the river.

He paid attention in class when it came to survival, and what better way to train himself in private, was to learn how to survive outside?

After a few minutes, he found the roots were thick on the side, and nodded. He smirked as he crouched down, and made the head seal for his Shadow Clones. Soon five puffs of smoke emerged, all of them moving, and the first one spoke up.

"Sup, boss, we training today?" One asked as he scratched the back of his head.

"Y-yeah, sort of, anyway remember what I learned in class just a couple of months ago. You know, the one thing about burrow camps? Something most one man ninja ops do, well, I need some help making it. Basically, I need some help digging the put under the tree!" Naruto explained what they'd be doing.

"Oh, sure boss, no problem!" A second clone said as he, and the other four walked over towards the tree.

They began to dig into the tree with their hands, before Naruto hollered at them.

"Hey, hold it! I got some more trowels morons!" Naruto stated. "Here!"

Naruto threw his trowels down, and walked over to his pack. Grabbing two more trowels, and three more hand rakes. The blonde handed three of the clones rakes, while he grabbed his own, and his trowel. The two others were grabbed by clones, and Naruto looked at them.

"Okay, since the ground is kind of hard, I'm going to need you guys with the rakes to beat into the ground. Rake it, loosen it, and then when you feel like it's loose enough let us know. We'll dig it right up!" Naruto instructed as he looked at the clones.

"Yes sir!" The clones said as they began to get to work.

* * *

A few hours later, along with several more clones, Naruto was looking at the brightly colored sky as the sun began to set. The tree behind him had a rather large hold at the base of it, a burrow. It was easy to cover up as well, all the dirt they had moved had just been put the sides.

Naruto currently was grime covered, but he wiped sweat from his brow as he took a drink of water from a wooden cup he had brought with him. The same one he had carved, at his side was rather large stones, river stones, which were flat on the top.

Naruto got up, and grabbed some stones with the help of two more clones he had with him. They made their was towards the entrance of the burrow, which was no more than two feet across, in the shape of malformed circle.

Squeezing himself in, Naruto entered a burrow that was about twenty feet in length, and low high enough to where he could crouch. It was cold, but what he had planned tonight was sure to make it warm.

Some of the clones from earlier were huddled against each other, some using a lighter their original had bought from a store to see, and Naruto looked at them. He tossed one of the rocks down, and two of the clones got up. Their feet sinking slightly in the mud, and Naruto watched in the dim light as they began to attempt placing the river stones down equally.

After a half of hour, and some backbreaking work. Naruto, his clones, finally set the _flooring_ of the burrow. Not all equal, but leaving very few places for mud to hit, unless he were to huddle on a wall. The blonde smiled as he exited the borrow, releasing his clones, and watched as the sky over him became darker.

To the side of the borrow, his pack laid, and he walked over towards it. He pulled out a sleeping bag, while pulling out a firecracker as well. He walked over to the burrow entrance, tossing the pack in, and went towards the stream.

He found some sticks laying about, and picked them up, he didn't need many for tonight. Picking up a hand full, the blonde also plucked some grass that had been kept dry from when they hugged up against the tree nearest to it.

Making his was way back, the blonde tossed the sticks into the borrow, and began to make his way inside. Lighting the lighter he had as well, and began to grab at he exposed mud on the walls. Taking handfuls at a time.

He brought it towards the center of the room, and slabbing it down in a circle on the flat stones he had his clones set up. He quickly made the circle, and placed the sticks, along with the grass inside of it.

Gathering a old shirt he never wore, making sure to keep it dry, the blonde placed it on top of the fastened fire pit he made. He took an old rag, placed it on top of the shirt and grass. He got out some alcohol he procured while he had transformed into an adult, and poured it over the shirt.

He placed the firecracker down, and lit the fuse. After a few seconds, the firework went off with a loud bang, and soon a small fire had begun to spread on the shirt. The fire illuminating Narutos' temporary getaway home for the week...or two if he could muster his skills.

"Man...I did this? Maybe the mask guy is right after all, I may just be a genius. Okay Naruto, let's go get your sleeping bag, and get to cutting some l-aaah!" Naruto slipped on a rock, falling hard on his back.

"Ow..." Naruto moaned. "Never mind...still dumb!"

* * *

Naruto awoke the next day, he looked around his borrow, which had gone dark due to the fire dying out. However, since he covered the entrance with left sticks, and a blanket, the heat had been retained. He sighed in comfort, groaning when he had to get up.

Blinking, he made his way towards the entrance, and moved the sticks out of the way. There, he was greeted by the morning sun, still inside of his jacket from last night. The blonde looked at the sky above, once again brightly colored orange.

"I may just move out here, too beautiful." Naruto murmured as he smiled. "Okay lets' get down to business!"

Naruto fast walked towards the stream, looking for any signs of an icing problem. He found none, and nodded. He still had his sword strapped to his side, and decided it was time to test it out. So he unsheathed the blade from it's scabbard, and held it in his right hand.

He walked over towards a lower tree, and jumped on top of its' branch. He grabbed the sword with two hands, before bringing it down hard against the branch, watching as the sword cut into the bark.

Slowly, after about an hour of cutting into the bark, the tree limb fell from the tree. Naruto jumped down, right before it broke, and landed on the ground right when it did. He looked a the tree branch, and looked at his sword.

It had more notches along the blade now, but he still smiled, it still worked. The blonde sighed as he looked at the limb he cut down, and began to judge its' length. Slowly he walked it, and counted out his steps that he kept toe-to-heel for measure.

" _twenty seven steps...so my feet are about eight inches long. Let's see...um, twenty seven times eight, equals? Eighteen feet! Cool, and by the my estimate, it's a good foot thick as well! Man, I wonder what I can do with it, maybe more firewood?"_ Naruto scratched his chin, looking at the smaller branches attached to the end of the limb.

" _I could use the longer sticks to make spears for fish, I guess, plus Nibuiha can easily cut through it with a couple of swings. I can even use it to sharpen the sticks, man, I can't wait for some fish!"_ Narutos' mouth watered as he thought of creatures being cooked over a fire, and sighed as he walked towards the branches.

He held the sword above his head with two hands, and gathered his breath. Yelling out a short roar, he cut through the first branch with ease, and watched as it fell into place into the snow. He nodded, and began to work on the tree limbs branches.

Soon, after about an half hour, he ended up with seven possible spear branches. He also ended with several left over sticks for starting a fire, and even to use as torches if he needed to. Grabbed a possible spear branch, and sat down on the tree limb he cut down.

He began to scrape wood off the top of the branch, and watched his movements carefully so he could get the most accurate cut as needed. After a few minutes of constant sharpening, he finally held his makeshift spear.

The blonde noticed it had a few curves inside the shaft, some areas giving him a better grip, some a hideous hold. The blonde jabbed at the snow covered ground, watching as it stuck in several times, and smiled.

Getting up, he formed the hand seal for his clones, and watched as five puffs of smoke appeared. The clones looked at him, smiling as well, and Naruto watched as they immediately understood what he wanted.

They grabbed the trowels from inside the burrow, walked over to the other possible spear branches, and began to cut into them. Naruto himself walked towards the stream, and noticed some fish. So, slowly, he stepped into the shallow depth of the water. Making sure no water would leak into his boots.

When he found no leakage, he remained still, just like his teachers taught in the academy. Holding the spear just near the water, and waited. After a few minutes, a fish got careless, swimming over and found itself stabbed by a spear.

The blonde pulled the fish up, and looked it. It was about the length his hand towards the middle of his forearm. He looked at one of the clones. Nudging him over with his head, the clone nodded, and walked over to him.

He took the fish, and walked over to a small pile of snow, and laid it down in the snow. Covering it with snow, while putting a stick in the ground near it to mark its' location. The clone watched as Naruto quickly speared two more fish, and tossed them over towards him.

The blonde smiled, coming out of the ankle deep water, and walked towards the clones, who had all finished spears. Naruto looked at them, and smiled. They all returned the smile.

"Okay guys, listen up, here is the game plan! Anyway, we have maybe seven hours of daylight. I'm going to _try_ and form three more clones. I want you all to spread out to get some of the following things. I need some _really_ dry bark, some more stones, not lake stones...just normal rocks I guess. I also need two to go, and search around for some training dummies. Just...I don't know, take them from places don't seem used. _Please_ do not get caught, if you're seen just get out of sight, and disperse." Naruto commanded as he looked at his clones, and formed the hand seals to form three more.

"Got'cha boss, no problem!" The clones all said in unison, before they all ran towards their assignments.

The blonde walked around watching as his clones did the work he needed, finding nothing to do, he sighed and sat down on the tree limb that was currently still intact. He sat there, and looked at his clones, before a sad frown crawled its way onto his face.

He closed his eyes.

* * *

Naruto felt something tugging at his arm, and he slowly opened his eyes. He looked down to see someone that looked similar to him, bearing three whisker marks as well. He looked around, noticing that snow wasn't on the ground.

" _What the..."_ Naruto thought. _"What is this?"_

Instead, he was sitting in a park bench, looking at a little boy that looked so similar to him.

"Big brother, come on, mommy and daddy are waiting!" The boy pulled at Naruto more.

The blonde looked at the smaller version of himself, before slowly getting up. He walked with the little version of himself, and saw himself getting closer towards a house. He felt something throb in his heart as he walked, and soon found himself standing in a modest two story house.

"Mommy, daddy, where is Chi, and Go? Aren't they gonna greet big brother back, after all he just became Hokage!" The little boy said as he looked around.

Naruto eyes widened, before finally he looked at himself in a puddle of water that had been laying on the dirt ground. He saw himself wearing the robes, and hat of The Hokage. It had a symbol of five on it, and the blonde just looked at himself. Something felt very off, very wrong suddenly.

That's when he saw two skeletons slowly emerge from the home, both with blonde hair, and they had just patches of skin on them. They were almost like zombies, and they slowly shuffled towards Naruto, their arms wide open.

"Welcome home son!" They both snarled. "Come on, and eat with us!"

Naruto backed up, before looking back towards the park. The park had turned into a long dark tunnel, and he began to run down it. Escaping the zombies, or whatever they were, and he looked around.

Suddenly, images of him when he was five, and slowly he began to transform into the five year old. His body grew shorter, his hair went to shoulder length, and frame looked much more thin.

* * *

" _Oh boy, I hope that I get picked today! Come on lucky ten, come on, it's my birthday! I'm on my lucky number!"_ The five year old Naruto said as he continued to run towards a small building complex.

When he arrived, he watched as several adults were gathered outside, and when he saw the matron he visibly tensed. The matron looked at him, snarling, and grabbed him.

"Stand in line _boy_ , you're late again!" The matron almost yelled as she made Naruto stand in a line of kids.

"Okay, everyone listen. These nice men, and ladies here are going to have a look at you. Don't worry if they don't pick you, you'll find someone one day. Now stand in line, look towards them, and smile." The matron ordered, and the children including Naruto did as told.

How many times had he done this now, forty, seventy? He started this little line up at four, and now a year later, he was doing it on a weekly basis. Sometimes arriving earlier, sometimes a little later than the other children.

The men, and women. Some together, some alone, and some with flak vest on walked through the gates. Many of them started down the line, and Naruto watched as one with brown hair, and a scarred face stopped at a girl.

Tenten, and smiled. Offering his hand out, and Naruto felt himself smile as he saw someone usually talked to him sometimes walk away with a new father in less than a few minutes. Some of the parents looked very poor, but some very wealthy as well.

Naruto watched as other kids got picked, being led away by women, men, and married couples. Finally, his dream had come true, and he smiled when he saw three families left. Some of children hadn't shown up that day, and he noticed just one other person besides him

This was it!

Then much to his horror the two adults, obviously married looked at him. Both shook their head, and slowly walked away with the other remaining boy. Naruto watched the others, single by the looks, just slowly walked towards the gates.

" _W-w-wait!"_ Naruto loudly spoke. _"Wh-why are you all leaving? I'm still here, I mean...I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I thought you wanted a child!"_

The woman, who had long purple hair just shook her head, before walking away. She had a look of guilt written across her face, but just kept walking. The man looked at the boy, shrugging like he gave nothing of concern to the child, and walked off as well.

" _Wait!"_ Naruto screamed as he ran towards them, but the gates closed on him.

The matron looked at the child, before sighing.

" _I'm sorry Naruto, better luck next time."_ She spoke, before ushering Naruto back towards the complex.

The blonde just watched as the four villagers, the married couple, the man, and woman walked away. Then he heard laughter from the woman, while she looked at him, or at least in his direction. The blondes' little grasp on his own hands, and he just let them drop to his side.

" _Bu-but, I...I never gotta chance...why?"_ Naruto murmured as he was walked back into the complex.

He watched as parents, new, and looking for siblings for their children were signing papers. Tenten walked up towards him, and smiled at him. Her bun-like hair bounced in her walking, and she smiled holding out her paper.

" _Naruto, look, I got adopted. See! You were right ten was my lucky number too!"_ Tenten laughed. _"Did you...get adopted? There was three other families out there."_

Something just snapped inside of Naruto, before he finally lost it. He wasn't himself at that moment, but all the pain finally broke loose, and it found a target.

" _Good for you, now go away!"_ Naruto screamed, tears spilled out of his eyes, and he took of running.

* * *

Naruto awoke to sound of crickets, and saw the sun had gone down. He felt himself drained, he looked around, noticing three training dummies laying in the snow. Inside the snow was a small pile of fish, which was partially covered up.

Some of the clones were huddled next to him, like they were protecting him. Naruto couldn't help, and he slowly brought his hands around the clones. He let some tears fall from his eyes, before hugging them.

The clones, who seemed to also had been sad at the point returned the hug. Naruto then sorrowfully released the jutsu, before he got up, and walked towards the burrow. He looked at his hands, and just sighed.

" _I'll be the greatest ever...then they'll regret leaving me behind. I'll be Naruto Uzumaki, the greatest Hokage ever, and I'll shove it in their faces when I see them again."_ Naruto frowned as he looked at his hands, and then pondered.

He closed his eyes, before walking into the burrow. Awaiting the next day, and his self training truly ready to begin.


End file.
